Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of

Iran, Islamic Republic of: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 49.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
49.8%
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
58th
of 85 countries
All-time high
49.8%
in 2023
All-time low
10.3%
in 1976
Years of data
22
1976–2023

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976–2023

10203040501976199920231976: 10.3 %1986: 15.3 %1991: 22.5 %1996: 20.8 %2005: 26.7 %2006: 27.8 %2008: 28.9 %2009: 30 %2010: 31.3 %2011: 30.4 %2012: 32.6 %2013: 34.2 %2014: 34.3 %2015: 35.9 %2016: 36.8 %2017: 39.2 %2018: 40.6 %2019: 42.2 %2020: 45.1 %2021: 47.4 %2022: 48.1 %2023: 49.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of stood at 49.8%. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 45.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 49.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10.3%, in 1976.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 58th of 85 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes (%) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976 to 2023.
Year % Change
1976 10.3%
1986 15.3% +48.0%
1991 22.5% +47.2%
1996 20.8% -7.5%
2005 26.7% +28.3%
2006 27.8% +4.3%
2008 28.9% +4.0%
2009 30.0% +3.6%
2010 31.3% +4.5%
2011 30.4% -2.9%
2012 32.6% +7.3%
2013 34.2% +5.0%
2014 34.3% +0.1%
2015 35.9% +4.6%
2016 36.8% +2.5%
2017 39.2% +6.7%
2018 40.6% +3.5%
2019 42.2% +3.9%
2020 45.1% +6.9%
2021 47.4% +5.0%
2022 48.1% +1.6%
2023 49.8% +3.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 10.3% 10.3% 10.3% 1
1980s 15.3% 15.3% 15.3% 1
1990s 21.6% 20.8% 22.5% 2
2000s 28.3% 26.7% 30.0% 4
2010s 35.8% 30.4% 42.2% 10
2020s 47.6% 45.1% 49.8% 4

Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of

  1. 55 Tunisia 52.2% compare
  2. 56 Cameroon 50.3% compare
  3. 57 Zambia 50.0% compare
  4. 59 Cape Verde 49.2% compare
  5. 60 Uganda 46.6% compare
  6. 61 Nigeria 46.1% compare

See the full ranking of 286 places →

More education data for Iran, Islamic Republic of

All data for Iran, Islamic Republic of →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 49.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 49.8% in 2023.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 10.3% in 1976.
How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 58th out of 85 countries with data for 2023.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is up 45.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of 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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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-both-sexes-percent-2/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
286 places, 9,550 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release