Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Africa Eastern and Southern
WB: Africa Eastern and Southern: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 46.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Africa Eastern and Southern, 1986–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Africa Eastern and Southern is 46.3%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 46.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 27.0%, in 1991.
That places WB: Africa Eastern and Southern 121st 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 39 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 28.4% | — |
| 1987 | 28.5% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 28.6% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 28.5% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 28.7% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 27.0% | -5.9% |
| 1992 | 27.2% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 27.4% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 27.5% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 28.0% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 28.3% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 29.1% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 30.2% | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 31.1% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 31.5% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 32.0% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 31.9% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 32.5% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 32.6% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 33.2% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 35.0% | +5.5% |
| 2007 | 36.3% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 39.0% | +7.5% |
| 2009 | 40.9% | +4.9% |
| 2010 | 40.5% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 40.2% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 40.2% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 40.6% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 41.8% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 41.7% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 42.7% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 41.0% | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 42.0% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 46.0% | +9.6% |
| 2020 | 46.5% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 44.1% | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 44.9% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 45.5% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 46.3% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 28.5% | 28.4% | 28.6% | 4 |
| 1990s | 28.5% | 27.0% | 31.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.5% | 31.5% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.7% | 40.2% | 46.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.5% | 44.1% | 46.5% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Africa Eastern and Southern
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 20.71 million (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.23 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.92 million (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.75 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 18.88 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.91 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 23.18 million (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.98 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.9717 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 46.07 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Africa Eastern and Southern was 46.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 46.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.0% in 1991.
- How does WB: Africa Eastern and Southern rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- WB: Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 121st out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Africa Eastern and Southern 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