Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 48.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa, 1974–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa is 48.3%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa peaked at 48.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 17.4%, in 1974.
That places UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa 115th 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 51 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 17.4% | — |
| 1975 | 17.4% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 17.4% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 17.6% | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 17.9% | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 18.1% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 18.4% | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 18.6% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 18.8% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 19.1% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 19.2% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 19.3% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 19.4% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 19.7% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 20.0% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 20.3% | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 21.4% | +5.8% |
| 1991 | 21.5% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 21.6% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 21.4% | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 21.5% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 21.4% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 21.6% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 21.9% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 22.4% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 22.8% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 23.2% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 23.8% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 24.5% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 30.1% | +23.1% |
| 2004 | 30.4% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 30.5% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 26.9% | -11.8% |
| 2007 | 27.7% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 28.4% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 31.6% | +11.0% |
| 2010 | 32.6% | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 34.4% | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 35.2% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 37.9% | +7.5% |
| 2014 | 38.5% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 40.2% | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 39.5% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 40.9% | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 41.9% | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 42.9% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 44.2% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 45.3% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 46.4% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 47.4% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 48.3% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.6% | 17.4% | 18.1% | 6 |
| 1980s | 19.3% | 18.4% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.8% | 21.4% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.7% | 23.2% | 31.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.4% | 32.6% | 42.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.3% | 44.2% | 48.3% | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 21.65 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 23.21 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.49 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.5257 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 17.53 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.61 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 6.11 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa was 48.3% 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?
- The highest recorded value was 48.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.4% in 1974.
- How does UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa ranks 115th 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?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Middle East and North 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