Despite China's arduous efforts to improve education, the national illiterate population actually increased by 30 million from 2000 to 2005, to total 116 million. This makes up 11.3% of the global figure and the second largest total for a single country behind India.

It was also revealed that China's illiteracy diaspora is not principally confined to the country's western reaches, as was previously assumed. According a 2006 survey, only 40 million people are noted as being illiterate in the west whilst relatively affluent Shandong Province counts 9.63 million.

Whereas widespread poverty can be blamed for high illiteracy rates in western China since many residents cannot afford schooling, the situation is markedly different in the east. There, many parents take their children out of school and send them to work, without realizing that a pittance earned today will in reality cost a fortune by depriving their children of a brighter future.