Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions
MDG: Developing Regions: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 72.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
MDG: Developing Regions recorded 72.4% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions peaked at 72.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 31.3%, in 1975.
That places MDG: Developing Regions 84th out of 201 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 31.3% | — |
| 1976 | 31.4% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 31.4% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 31.5% | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 31.4% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 31.5% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 31.7% | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 31.9% | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 32.2% | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 32.4% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 32.6% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 32.8% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 33.8% | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 38.6% | +14.1% |
| 1989 | 38.9% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 39.2% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 39.3% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 39.5% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 39.8% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 40.0% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 40.3% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 40.7% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 48.3% | +18.7% |
| 1998 | 50.2% | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 50.4% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 50.5% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 50.8% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 51.0% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 51.7% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 51.9% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 52.0% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 53.1% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 57.0% | +7.3% |
| 2008 | 57.4% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 58.8% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 60.6% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 61.6% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 62.4% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 63.0% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 64.2% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 64.9% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 66.2% | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 67.6% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 68.7% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 68.9% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 69.7% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 70.4% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 71.2% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 71.9% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 72.4% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 31.4% | 31.3% | 31.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 33.6% | 31.5% | 38.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.8% | 39.2% | 50.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.4% | 50.5% | 58.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.8% | 60.6% | 68.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.1% | 69.7% | 72.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near MDG: Developing Regions
- 81 Afghanistan 16.5% compare
- 82 Burkina Faso 16.1% compare
- 83 Mali 13.1% compare
- 84 Chad 11.0% compare
- 85 Sierra Leone 5.8% compare
More education data for MDG: Developing Regions
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 90.6% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 89.6% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 266.40 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 9.4% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 286.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 171.20 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 28.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 365.72 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 190.49 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 178.28 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions was 72.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Developing Regions?
- The highest recorded value was 72.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Developing Regions?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.3% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Developing Regions rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- MDG: Developing Regions ranks 84th out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: Developing Regions?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Developing Regions 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