Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia
SDG: Western Asia: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 77.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
77.9%
Change on year
up 0.7%
Rank
73rd
of 201 groups
All-time high
77.9%
in 2024
All-time low
34.3%
in 1979
Years of data
49
1976–2024
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia, 1976–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia stood at 77.9%. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia peaked at 77.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 34.3%, in 1979.
SDG: Western Asia ranks 73rd of 201 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 35.9% | — |
| 1977 | 36.2% | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 36.6% | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 34.3% | -6.1% |
| 1980 | 34.3% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 34.9% | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 35.5% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 36.1% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 38.2% | +5.8% |
| 1985 | 38.2% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 38.8% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 39.3% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 39.9% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 41.1% | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 41.2% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 41.8% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 42.4% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 42.9% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 43.5% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 44.2% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 44.9% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 45.6% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 46.5% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 47.1% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 51.0% | +8.2% |
| 2001 | 51.4% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 51.8% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 52.5% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 53.0% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 54.4% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 54.7% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 55.9% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 56.5% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 58.9% | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 60.3% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 63.8% | +5.8% |
| 2012 | 66.5% | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 67.5% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 68.2% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 69.8% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 72.0% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 72.6% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 73.2% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 74.2% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 75.3% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 76.2% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 76.9% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 77.4% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 77.9% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35.8% | 34.3% | 36.6% | 4 |
| 1980s | 37.6% | 34.3% | 41.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.0% | 41.2% | 47.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.0% | 51.0% | 58.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.8% | 60.3% | 74.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.7% | 75.3% | 77.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Western Asia
More education data for SDG: Western Asia
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 28.52 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.9495 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 13.49 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7535 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.72 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.901 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.0164 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 28.49 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 13.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 15.03 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia was 77.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Western Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 77.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Western Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.3% in 1979.
- How does SDG: Western Asia rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- SDG: Western Asia ranks 73rd out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Western Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release