Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)
ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105): Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 31.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105), 1985–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) is 31.7%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 34.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) peaked at 31.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 15.0%, in 1986.
That places ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) 192nd out of 201 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 15.1% | — |
| 1986 | 15.0% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 15.2% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 15.7% | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 15.9% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 16.1% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 16.4% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 16.6% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 16.8% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 17.0% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 17.3% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 17.7% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 18.2% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 18.9% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 19.2% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 15.7% | -18.3% |
| 2001 | 16.1% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 16.6% | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 17.0% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 17.8% | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 18.4% | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 18.9% | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 18.7% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 19.2% | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 20.6% | +7.3% |
| 2010 | 21.2% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 22.2% | +4.7% |
| 2012 | 22.9% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 23.5% | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 23.6% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 24.4% | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 25.0% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 26.2% | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 30.6% | +16.9% |
| 2019 | 30.7% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 30.9% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 31.2% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 31.4% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 31.7% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.4% | 15.0% | 15.9% | 5 |
| 1990s | 17.4% | 16.1% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.9% | 15.7% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.0% | 21.2% | 30.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.3% | 30.9% | 31.7% | 4 |
More education data for ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 15.44 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 31.31 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7446 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.82 million (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.59 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 15.86 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.8591 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.5935 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4091 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.901 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) was 31.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- The highest recorded value was 31.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.0% in 1986.
- How does ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) ranks 192nd out of 201 groups with data for 2023.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release