Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500): Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 44.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), 1977–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) stood at 44.9%. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 19.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) peaked at 44.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 14.9%, in 1977.
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 128th of 201 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 14.9% | — |
| 1978 | 15.1% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 15.3% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 15.5% | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 15.7% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 15.9% | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 15.7% | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 15.8% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 15.9% | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 16.1% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 16.4% | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 16.6% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 16.9% | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 17.2% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 17.3% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 17.7% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 17.6% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 17.9% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 18.2% | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 18.8% | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 19.4% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 20.2% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 20.8% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 21.3% | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 22.1% | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 22.8% | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 30.1% | +32.2% |
| 2004 | 30.5% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 30.9% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 24.5% | -20.8% |
| 2007 | 25.2% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 26.1% | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 30.0% | +14.7% |
| 2010 | 30.7% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 33.5% | +9.3% |
| 2012 | 34.0% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 37.0% | +9.0% |
| 2014 | 37.7% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 39.3% | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 37.5% | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 38.7% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 39.4% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 40.2% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 41.5% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 42.4% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 43.3% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 44.1% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 44.9% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 15.1% | 14.9% | 15.3% | 3 |
| 1980s | 16.0% | 15.5% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.5% | 17.2% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.4% | 21.3% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.8% | 30.7% | 40.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.2% | 41.5% | 44.9% | 5 |
More education data for ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 12.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.6427 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.304 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 16.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 17.81 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.3069 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.68 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.6186 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.43 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) was 44.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The highest recorded value was 44.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.9% in 1977.
- How does ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 128th out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) 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