Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malaysia
Malaysia: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 81.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malaysia, 1980–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 81.7% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in 2022. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.8% on the previous year and up 39.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malaysia peaked at 81.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 23.1%, in 1980.
Malaysia ranks 32nd of 85 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 23.1% | — |
| 1991 | 32.9% | +42.3% |
| 2000 | 44.3% | +34.8% |
| 2010 | 58.5% | +31.9% |
| 2016 | 73.2% | +25.1% |
| 2017 | 74.8% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 75.5% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 77.2% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 81.7% | +5.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 23.1% | 23.1% | 23.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 32.9% | 32.9% | 32.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 44.3% | 44.3% | 44.3% | 1 |
| 2010s | 71.8% | 58.5% | 77.2% | 5 |
| 2020s | 81.7% | 81.7% | 81.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malaysia?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malaysia was 81.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 81.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.1% in 1980.
- How does Malaysia rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- Malaysia ranks 32nd out of 85 countries with data for 2022.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release