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Economy

Indicators On Education And Literacy, Annual

Data from Jan 1960 to Dec 2021

Last updated: 02 May 2026, 19:00 SGT

SINGSTAT (Singapore Department of Statistics)

Source: SINGAPORE DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS

Data Last Updated: 28/10/2025

Update Frequency: Annual

Footnotes: For more information, please refer to the 'Population Trends' publication (https://www.singstat.gov.sg/publication-resources/population-trends-2025). Literacy rates will be available at 5-yearly intervals from the Census of Population and General Household Survey after 2021. Data are used for SDG 4.6.1 'Youth/adult literacy rate'. Please refer to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Global Metadata (https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata) for more information on SDG 4.6.1.

Adapted from: https://tablebuilder.singstat.gov.sg/table/TS/M850001

Data explorer

IndicatorsOnEducationAndLiteracyAnnual.csv (6 rows, 2.9 KB)

Data Series Text	2021 Numeric	2020 Numeric	2019 Numeric	2018 Numeric	2017 Numeric	2016 Numeric	2015 Numeric	2014 Numeric	2013 Numeric	2012 Numeric	2011 Numeric	2010 Numeric	2009 Text	2008 Text	2007 Text	2006 Text	2005 Text	2004 Text	2003 Text	2002 Text	2001 Text	2000 Numeric	1999 Text	1998 Text	1997 Text	1996 Text	1995 Text	1994 Text	1993 Text	1992 Text	1991 Text	1990 Numeric	1989 Text	1988 Text	1987 Text	1986 Text	1985 Text	1984 Text	1983 Text	1982 Text	1981 Text	1980 Numeric	1979 Text	1978 Text	1977 Text	1976 Text	1975 Text	1974 Text	1973 Text	1972 Text	1971 Text	1970 Numeric	1969 Text	1968 Text	1967 Text	1966 Text	1965 Text	1964 Text	1963 Text	1962 Text	1961 Text	1960 Text
(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)0.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%	(Null)50.0%
Literacy Rate (15 Years & Over)	97.6	97.1	97.5	97.3	97.2	97	96.8	96.7	96.6	96.4	96.2	95.9	95.6	95.2	94.8	94.5	94.1	93.8	93.5	93.2	92.9	92.5	92.3	91.9	91.5	91.1	90.8	90.4	90.1	89.8	89.5	89.1	88.4	87.7	87	86.3	85.7	85	84.4	83.8	83.1	82.3	81.6	80.2	78.9	77.5	76.2	74.6	73.1	71.7	70.3	68.9	67.2	65.4	63.5	61.9	60.2	58.4	56.7	55.2	53.8	52.6
Literacy Rate (15 Years & Over) - Males	98.9	98.5	98.9	98.9	98.8	98.7	98.6	98.6	98.5	98.5	98.4	98	97.9	97.7	97.6	97.4	97.3	97.1	97	96.8	96.7	96.6	96.4	96.3	96.1	96	95.8	95.7	95.5	95.4	95.2	95.1	94.7	94.3	94	93.6	93.2	92.9	92.5	92.2	91.8	91.4	90.7	89.8	88.9	88	87.2	86.2	85.3	84.5	83.7	83	81.6	80.3	78.9	77.7	76.4	74.9	73.6	72.4	71.3	70.3
Literacy Rate (15 Years & Over) - Females	96.4	95.8	96.1	95.9	95.7	95.4	95.2	94.9	94.7	94.4	94.1	93.8	93.3	92.7	92.1	91.6	91.1	90.6	90.2	89.7	89.2	88.6	88.1	87.5	87	86.4	85.8	85.3	84.7	84.2	83.6	83	81.9	80.9	79.9	78.9	78	77.1	76.2	75.2	74.2	73.1	72.2	70.4	68.6	66.6	64.7	62.6	60.4	58.4	56.3	54.3	51.8	49.4	47	44.8	42.6	40.3	38.2	36	34.2	32.8
Literacy Rate (15-24 Years)	99.9	99.7	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.8	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.8	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	99.5	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	99	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	96.4	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	88.3	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na
Literacy Rate (15-24 Years) - Males	99.9	99.7	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.7	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.7	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	99.4	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	98.9	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	96.6	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	91.9	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na
Literacy Rate (15-24 Years) - Females	99.9	99.8	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.8	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.9	99.8	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	99.6	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	99.1	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	96.3	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	84.5	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na	na

Column legend

Title	Column name	Data type	Unit of measure	Description
Data Series	DataSeries	Text	Per Cent	-
2021	2021	Numeric	Per Cent	-
2020	2020	Numeric	Per Cent	-
2019	2019	Numeric	Per Cent	-
2018	2018	Numeric	Per Cent	-
2017	2017	Numeric	Per Cent	-
2016	2016	Numeric	Per Cent	-
2015	2015	Numeric	Per Cent	-
2014	2014	Numeric	Per Cent	-
2013	2013	Numeric	Per Cent	-

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Sample OpenAPI query

This code can be used to test a sample API query. It retrieves the data catalogue of this dataset. For a complete guide on query parameters and syntax, please refer to the API documentation. Try it out on your browser to see the response schema.

import requests
          
dataset_id = "d_a98f2ae027bf4442d7250d50505feabe"
url = "https://data.gov.sg/api/action/datastore_search?resource_id="  + dataset_id 
        
response = requests.get(url)
print(response.json())

Citation

This dataset can be reused and cited in research publications.

Singapore Department of Statistics. (2023). Indicators On Education And Literacy, Annual (2026) [Dataset]. data.gov.sg. Retrieved May 17, 2026 from https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_a98f2ae027bf4442d7250d50505feabe/view

About this dataset

Contact

feedback@data.gov.sg

Created on

01 Nov 2023

Licence

Free forever for personal or commercial use, under the Open Data Licence.

Agency

SINGSTAT (Singapore Department of Statistics)