Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States
UIS: Arab States: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 43.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States, 1978–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States stood at 43.4%. That is the highest value across all 47 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 19.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States peaked at 43.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 14.7%, in 1978.
That places UIS: Arab States 137th 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 47 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 14.7% | — |
| 1979 | 14.9% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 15.1% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 15.2% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 15.4% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 15.2% | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 15.3% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 15.4% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 15.6% | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 15.8% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 16.1% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 16.4% | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 16.6% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 16.8% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 17.1% | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 17.0% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 17.2% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 17.6% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 18.1% | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 18.6% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 19.4% | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 19.9% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 20.3% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 21.0% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 21.6% | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 28.1% | +29.8% |
| 2004 | 28.5% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 28.7% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 23.2% | -19.0% |
| 2007 | 23.9% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 25.2% | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 28.6% | +13.6% |
| 2010 | 29.4% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 32.0% | +8.8% |
| 2012 | 32.5% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 35.4% | +8.7% |
| 2014 | 36.2% | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 37.8% | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 36.5% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 37.8% | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 38.6% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 39.3% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 40.4% | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 41.2% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 42.0% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 42.7% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 43.4% | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 14.8% | 14.7% | 14.9% | 2 |
| 1980s | 15.6% | 15.1% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.8% | 16.6% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.9% | 20.3% | 28.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.6% | 29.4% | 39.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.0% | 40.4% | 43.4% | 5 |
More education data for UIS: Arab States
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 7.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 19.66 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 20.94 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.6559 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 14.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 7.10 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 6.96 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States was 43.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in UIS: Arab States?
- The highest recorded value was 43.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in UIS: Arab States?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.7% in 1978.
- How does UIS: Arab States rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- UIS: Arab States ranks 137th out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in UIS: Arab States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UIS: Arab States 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