Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: South Asia
WB: South Asia: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 44.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
44.7%
Change on year
up 0.9%
Rank
129th
of 201 groups
All-time high
44.9%
in 2018
All-time low
21.6%
in 1986
Years of data
50
1975–2024
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: South Asia, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: South Asia stood at 44.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: South Asia peaked at 44.9% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 21.6%, in 1986.
That places WB: South Asia 129th 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 WB: South Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 21.9% | — |
| 1976 | 21.9% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 21.9% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 21.9% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 21.8% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 21.8% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 21.8% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 21.7% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 21.7% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 21.7% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 21.7% | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 21.6% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 22.5% | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 26.1% | +15.9% |
| 1989 | 26.4% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 26.6% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 26.8% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 26.8% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 26.7% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 26.6% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 26.6% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 26.8% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 27.2% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 34.5% | +26.9% |
| 1999 | 34.8% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 35.0% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 35.2% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 35.3% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 35.3% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 35.4% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 33.9% | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 33.6% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 33.8% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 34.0% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 34.2% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 39.9% | +16.8% |
| 2011 | 40.3% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 39.8% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 40.5% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 41.0% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 41.9% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 43.2% | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 44.0% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 44.9% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 42.0% | -6.6% |
| 2020 | 42.4% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 43.0% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 43.9% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 44.3% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 44.7% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.9% | 21.8% | 21.9% | 5 |
| 1980s | 22.7% | 21.6% | 26.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.3% | 26.6% | 34.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.6% | 33.6% | 35.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.7% | 39.8% | 44.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.7% | 42.4% | 44.7% | 5 |
More education data for WB: South Asia
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 4.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -1.3 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 74.44 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 3.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -2.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 152.88 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 77.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 160.82 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 4.5 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: South Asia?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: South Asia was 44.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 44.9% in 2018.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.6% in 1986.
- How does WB: South Asia rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- WB: South Asia ranks 129th out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: South Asia 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