Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 46.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries, 1974–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries recorded 46.0% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 27.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries peaked at 46.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.3%, in 1974.
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries ranks 122nd of 201 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 13.3% | — |
| 1975 | 13.3% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 13.3% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 13.6% | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 13.8% | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 14.1% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 14.3% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 14.5% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 14.7% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 15.1% | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 15.1% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 15.2% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 15.3% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 15.6% | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 15.9% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 16.2% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 17.4% | +7.3% |
| 1991 | 17.5% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 17.7% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 17.7% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 17.9% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 17.9% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 18.3% | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 18.8% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 19.4% | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 19.9% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 20.4% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 21.1% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 21.8% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 27.4% | +25.8% |
| 2004 | 27.8% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 28.0% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 24.2% | -13.5% |
| 2007 | 25.0% | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 25.8% | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 28.9% | +12.1% |
| 2010 | 30.0% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 31.9% | +6.2% |
| 2012 | 32.7% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 35.3% | +8.1% |
| 2014 | 36.0% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 37.7% | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 37.1% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 38.6% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 39.6% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 40.6% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 41.9% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 43.0% | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 44.1% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 45.0% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 46.0% | +2.2% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries 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 | +25.8% | 21.8% | 27.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.6% | 13.3% | 14.1% | 6 |
| 1980s | 15.2% | 14.3% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.2% | 17.4% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.0% | 20.4% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.0% | 30.0% | 40.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.0% | 41.9% | 46.0% | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 17.93 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 22.79 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 24.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.22 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.3301 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 5.99 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries →
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries was 46.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 46.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.3% in 1974.
- How does UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries ranks 122nd out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme 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