Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 41.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1983–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa is 41.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 41.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 22.4%, in 1983.
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 153rd of 201 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 22.4% | — |
| 1984 | 22.5% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 22.6% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 22.7% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 22.9% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 23.2% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 23.2% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 23.4% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 22.5% | -3.9% |
| 1992 | 22.7% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 22.9% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 23.1% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 23.6% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 24.0% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 24.8% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 25.8% | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 26.5% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 25.6% | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 26.1% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 26.1% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 26.6% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 27.0% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 27.4% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 29.0% | +5.7% |
| 2007 | 29.8% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 31.6% | +6.2% |
| 2009 | 33.4% | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 33.3% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 33.6% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 33.8% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 34.5% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 35.2% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 35.5% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 36.4% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 35.8% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 38.1% | +6.3% |
| 2019 | 40.8% | +7.0% |
| 2020 | 41.4% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 39.9% | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 40.5% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 41.1% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 41.6% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 22.8% | 22.4% | 23.2% | 7 |
| 1990s | 23.9% | 22.5% | 26.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.3% | 25.6% | 33.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.7% | 33.3% | 40.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.9% | 39.9% | 41.6% | 5 |
More education data for UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9.73 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7518 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 40.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.04 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.6 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.53 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa was 41.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 41.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.4% in 1983.
- How does UIS: Sub-saharan Africa rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 153rd out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UIS: Sub-saharan 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