Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
UNICEF: All Unicef Countries: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 74.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
74.3%
Change on year
up 0.6%
Rank
80th
of 201 groups
All-time high
74.3%
in 2024
All-time low
38.8%
in 1975
Years of data
50
1975–2024
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries is 74.3%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries peaked at 74.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 38.8%, in 1975.
That places UNICEF: All Unicef Countries 80th 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 50 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 38.8% | — |
| 1976 | 38.9% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 38.9% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 39.0% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 38.9% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 39.0% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 39.2% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 39.4% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 39.6% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 39.8% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 40.0% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 40.2% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 41.2% | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 45.4% | +10.3% |
| 1989 | 45.8% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 46.1% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 46.2% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 46.4% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 46.6% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 46.8% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 46.9% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 47.3% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 53.9% | +14.0% |
| 1998 | 55.7% | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 55.8% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 55.8% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 56.0% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 56.1% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 56.7% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 56.9% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 56.9% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 57.9% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 61.3% | +5.9% |
| 2008 | 61.6% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 62.7% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 64.2% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 64.9% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 65.6% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 66.1% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 67.1% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 67.8% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 68.9% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 70.1% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 71.1% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 71.3% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 72.0% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 72.6% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 73.2% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 73.8% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 74.3% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 38.9% | 38.8% | 39.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | 40.9% | 39.0% | 45.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 49.2% | 46.1% | 55.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.2% | 55.8% | 62.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.7% | 64.2% | 71.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.2% | 72.0% | 74.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
- 77 Côte d'Ivoire 22.5% compare
- 78 Nepal 21.1% compare
- 79 Ethiopia 17.8% compare
- 80 Niger 17.4% compare
- 81 Afghanistan 16.5% compare
- 82 Burkina Faso 16.1% compare
- 83 Mali 13.1% compare
More education data for UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 569.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.8422 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 274.67 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 29.12 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.6486 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 345.07 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 294.84 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries was 74.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 74.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.8% in 1975.
- How does UNICEF: All Unicef Countries rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- UNICEF: All Unicef Countries ranks 80th out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: All Unicef Countries 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