Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa
SDG: Northern Africa: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 37.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa, 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa stood at 37.2%. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa peaked at 37.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.5%, in 1973.
SDG: Northern Africa ranks 185th of 201 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 13.5% | — |
| 1974 | 13.5% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 13.5% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 13.5% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 13.8% | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 14.1% | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 14.3% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 14.5% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 14.7% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 14.9% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 14.4% | -3.0% |
| 1984 | 14.5% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 14.6% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 14.6% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 14.9% | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 15.2% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 15.5% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 15.8% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 15.8% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 16.1% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 15.7% | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 15.8% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 16.1% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 16.6% | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 17.0% | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 17.6% | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 18.1% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 18.6% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 19.2% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 19.6% | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 28.1% | +43.5% |
| 2004 | 28.3% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 28.2% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 19.8% | -29.9% |
| 2007 | 20.3% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 21.6% | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 26.0% | +20.3% |
| 2010 | 26.5% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 29.1% | +9.7% |
| 2012 | 28.4% | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 32.0% | +12.8% |
| 2014 | 32.6% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 33.3% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 29.6% | -11.0% |
| 2017 | 30.9% | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 31.9% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 32.8% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 33.7% | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 34.6% | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 35.5% | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 36.4% | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 37.2% | +2.3% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +43.5% | 19.6% | 28.1% |
| 2006 | -29.9% | 28.2% | 19.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.7% | 13.5% | 14.3% | 7 |
| 1980s | 14.8% | 14.4% | 15.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.5% | 15.7% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.0% | 18.6% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.7% | 26.5% | 33.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.5% | 33.7% | 37.2% | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Northern Africa
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.17 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 4.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 12.91 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 4.66 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 33.17 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 13.26 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa was 37.2% 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?
- The highest recorded value was 37.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Northern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.5% in 1973.
- How does SDG: Northern Africa rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- SDG: Northern Africa ranks 185th out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Northern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Northern Africa 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