For reference, average life expectancy across the world has doubled in most places which had low-to-average life expectancy in the 1920s. In other words, China and the Soviet Union did not make any exceptional stride in that area.

Relying on the 99.9% number requires taking official government numbers (and definition of literacy) as gospel, which is dubious. That being said, a significant increase in literacy in both states mentioned was effected. It’s just that that was another common trend of the 20th century as a whole, not an achievement of Marxist-Leninist systems.

“China lifted people out of world poverty!” is particularly amusing considering the great mass of people lifted out of poverty occurred in the process of…

… adopting capitalism.