Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia
SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 59.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia, 1974–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia stood at 59.4%. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia peaked at 59.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 27.1%, in 1979.
SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia ranks 98th of 201 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 27.5% | — |
| 1975 | 27.5% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 27.8% | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 28.1% | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 28.4% | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 27.1% | -4.7% |
| 1980 | 27.2% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 27.6% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 28.0% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 28.2% | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 29.6% | +4.8% |
| 1985 | 29.6% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 30.0% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 30.5% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 30.9% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 31.9% | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 32.0% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 32.2% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 32.5% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 32.5% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 32.7% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 33.0% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 33.4% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 33.8% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 34.4% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 34.8% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 37.0% | +6.4% |
| 2001 | 37.4% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 37.8% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 41.8% | +10.7% |
| 2004 | 42.2% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 43.0% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 39.5% | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 40.4% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 41.4% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 44.4% | +7.4% |
| 2010 | 45.5% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 48.6% | +6.9% |
| 2012 | 49.8% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 52.0% | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 52.7% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 53.9% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 53.6% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 54.4% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 55.1% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 56.0% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 57.0% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 57.9% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 58.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 59.0% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 59.4% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.7% | 27.1% | 28.4% | 6 |
| 1980s | 29.4% | 27.2% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.1% | 32.0% | 34.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.5% | 37.0% | 44.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.2% | 45.5% | 56.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.4% | 57.0% | 59.4% | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 32.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.2663 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.45 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 9.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 61.67 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.5703 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 29.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7875 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 26.40 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia was 59.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 59.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.1% in 1979.
- How does SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia ranks 98th out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia 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