Literate and illiterate world population in Indonesia

Indonesia: Literate and illiterate world population was 4.0% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
4.0%
Change on year
down 7.8%
World rank
79th
of 128 countries
All-time high
82.5%
in 1950
All-time low
4.0%
in 2020
Years of data
14
1950–2020

Literate and illiterate world population in Indonesia, 1950–2020

0204060801950198520201950: 82.5 %1980: 32.7 %1990: 18.5 %2004: 9.6 %2006: 8 %2008: 7.8 %2009: 7.4 %2010: 7.7 %2011: 7.2 %2014: 4.9 %2015: 4.8 %2016: 4.6 %2018: 4.3 %2020: 4 %

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Indonesia recorded 4.0% for literate and illiterate world population in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.8% on the previous year and down 47.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Indonesia peaked at 82.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 4.0%, in 2020.

That places Indonesia 79th out of 128 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Literate and illiterate world population in Indonesia, year by year

Annual values for Literate and illiterate world population in Indonesia, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 82.5% —
1980 32.7% -60.4%
1990 18.5% -43.5%
2004 9.6% -47.9%
2006 8.0% -16.6%
2008 7.8% -2.6%
2009 7.4% -5.0%
2010 7.7% +3.5%
2011 7.2% -6.4%
2014 4.9% -32.1%
2015 4.8% -2.0%
2016 4.6% -3.3%
2018 4.3% -6.1%
2020 4.0% -7.8%

Indonesia compared with similar countries

  • Indonesia's 4.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.6%, 88% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
  • Indonesia's 4.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.0%, 1.0× the median. (18 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Literate and illiterate world population in Indonesia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1980 -60.4% 82.5% 32.7%
2004 -47.9% 18.5% 9.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 82.5% 82.5% 82.5% 1
1980s 32.7% 32.7% 32.7% 1
1990s 18.5% 18.5% 18.5% 1
2000s 8.2% 7.4% 9.6% 4
2010s 5.6% 4.3% 7.7% 6
2020s 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 1

Countries ranked near Indonesia

  1. 76 Colombia 4.7% compare
  2. 77 Mexico 4.5% compare
  3. 78 Malaysia 4.2% compare
  4. 80 Brunei 3.9% compare
  5. 81 Vietnam 3.9% compare
  6. 82 Panama 3.8% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Indonesia

All data for Indonesia →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Indonesia?
Literate and illiterate world population in Indonesia was 4.0% in 2020, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Indonesia?
The highest recorded value was 82.5% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Indonesia?
The lowest recorded value was 4.0% in 2020.
How does Indonesia rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Indonesia ranks 79th out of 128 countries with data for 2020.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Indonesia?
Over the last ten years it is down 47.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Indonesia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literate and illiterate world population in Indonesia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/literate-and-illiterate-world-population/indonesia/

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About this data

Indicator
Literate and illiterate world population
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed

Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.