Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)
WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd): Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 39.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
39.9%
Change on year
up 2.5%
Rank
171st
of 201 groups
All-time high
39.9%
in 2024
All-time low
12.6%
in 1972
Years of data
53
1972–2024
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd), 1972–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) stood at 39.9%. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 30.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) peaked at 39.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 1972.
WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) ranks 171st of 201 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 12.6% | — |
| 1973 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 12.6% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 12.8% | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 13.0% | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 13.2% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 13.3% | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 13.5% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 13.6% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 13.9% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 13.9% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 14.0% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 14.0% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 14.4% | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 14.7% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 15.1% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 16.1% | +6.8% |
| 1991 | 16.3% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 16.8% | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 17.0% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 17.2% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 17.2% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 17.6% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 17.9% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 18.4% | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 18.8% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 19.2% | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 19.7% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 20.3% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 24.4% | +20.4% |
| 2004 | 24.6% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 24.6% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 22.1% | -10.4% |
| 2007 | 23.0% | +4.4% |
| 2008 | 23.8% | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 26.3% | +10.4% |
| 2010 | 27.0% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 27.6% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 28.5% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 30.0% | +5.3% |
| 2014 | 30.6% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 31.9% | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 31.4% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 31.7% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 33.7% | +6.1% |
| 2019 | 35.2% | +4.5% |
| 2020 | 35.9% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 36.9% | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 38.0% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 38.9% | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 39.9% | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 12.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% | 8 |
| 1980s | 14.0% | 13.3% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.3% | 16.1% | 18.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.8% | 19.2% | 26.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.8% | 27.0% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.9% | 35.9% | 39.9% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 5.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14.92 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 4.73 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 32.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 6.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 28.76 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.81 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 40.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.95 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) was 39.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)?
- The highest recorded value was 39.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 1972.
- How does WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) ranks 171st out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) 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