Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 63.2% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sao Tome and Principe, 1981–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 63.2%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 27.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 63.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 24.4%, in 1981.
That places Sao Tome and Principe 47th out of 85 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 24.4% | — |
| 1991 | 30.5% | +25.2% |
| 2001 | 40.4% | +32.5% |
| 2012 | 49.6% | +22.7% |
| 2019 | 63.2% | +27.4% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 63.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 48.1%, 1.3× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 63.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 36.6%, 1.7× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 24.4% | 24.4% | 24.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 30.5% | 30.5% | 30.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 40.4% | 40.4% | 40.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 56.4% | 49.6% | 63.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
More education data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 936 (2016)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 4,544 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4,458 (2016)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4,769 (2016)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25,875 (2017)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 37,172 (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.14 % change on previous year (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1796 units per person (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sao Tome and Principe was 63.2% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 63.2% in 2019.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.4% in 1981.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 47th out of 85 countries with data for 2019.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe 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