Education in Mon, Myanmar: official figures
In 2019 80.5% of adults aged 15 and over in Mon State could read and write (men 83.8%, women 77.9%), against 89.1% nationally; that is 3rd lowest of 15 states and regions.
How many people in Mon State have never been to school?
12.3% of people aged 3 and over in Mon State had never attended school in 2019 (11.3% of males, 13.2% of females), against 11.0% for Myanmar; this is 4th highest of 15.
Source: Department of Population, Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population · saved copyWhat was the literacy rate in Mon State in the 2014 census?
The 2014 census recorded a literacy rate of 86.6% among people aged 15 and over in Mon State (men 89.5%, women 84.2%), with 178,284 adults who could not read and write; the national rate was 89.5%.
Source: Department of Population, Ministry of Immigration and Population · saved copyIs there a gap between men and women in literacy in Mon State?
Literacy among women in Mon State was 5.9 percentage points below that of men in 2019 (77.9% against 83.8%); across Myanmar the gap was 6.1 points.
Source: Department of Population, Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population · saved copyHas literacy in Mon State improved?
Measured literacy among adults in Mon State was 86.6% in the 2014 census and 80.5% in the 2019 survey (-6.1 points). The two sources use different survey methods, so small changes should be read with care.
Source: Department of Population, Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population · saved copyHow Mon compares with other states
Adult literacy rate (aged 15+) (2019)
Mon ranks 13 of 15, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adult literacy rate (aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Rakhine | 88.6% |
| 10 | Kachin | 88.5% |
| 11 | Kayah | 83.1% |
| 12 | Chin | 81.3% |
| 13 | Mon | 80.5% |
| 14 | Shan | 72.6% |
| 15 | Kayin | 70.9% |
Adult numeracy rate (aged 15+) (2019)
Mon ranks 12 of 15, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adult numeracy rate (aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Kachin | 89.0% |
| 10 | Rakhine | 89.0% |
| 11 | Tanintharyi | 88.3% |
| 12 | Mon | 82.4% |
| 13 | Chin | 81.9% |
| 14 | Shan | 80.7% |
| 15 | Kayin | 72.6% |
Share of people aged 3+ who never attended school (2019)
Mon ranks 4 of 15, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of people aged 3+ who never attended school |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shan | 25.3% |
| 2 | Kayin | 22.6% |
| 3 | Chin | 14.4% |
| 4 | Mon | 12.3% |
| 5 | Magway | 11.7% |
| 6 | Kayah | 11.5% |
| 7 | Sagaing | 10.4% |
Adult literacy rate (aged 15+), census (2014)
Mon ranks 10 of 15, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adult literacy rate (aged 15+), census |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Tanintharyi | 92.8% |
| 8 | Magway | 92.2% |
| 9 | Kachin | 91.7% |
| 10 | Mon | 86.6% |
| 11 | Rakhine | 84.7% |
| 12 | Kayah | 82.1% |
| 13 | Chin | 79.4% |
More on Mon: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · Myanmar
Sources
- Department of Population, Ministry of Immigration and Population: The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census, The Union Report, Census Report Volume 2 (Tables 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 16 and 17), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b9340ade6cad…)
- Department of Population, Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population: The 2019 Inter-censal Survey, Appendix Tables (A-2, A-4, A-9, A-10, B-2, B-7, C-1, F-2, H-1, H-3, H-10 and I-12 by State/Region), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f09f9e2de673…)
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