Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: World
WB: World: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 79.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: World, 1981–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: World is 79.3%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: World peaked at 79.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 53.9%, in 1981.
WB: World ranks 66th of 201 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: World, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 53.9% | — |
| 1982 | 54.2% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 54.4% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 54.6% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 54.9% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 55.1% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 55.9% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 58.7% | +5.0% |
| 1989 | 59.0% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 59.3% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 59.3% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 59.4% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 59.6% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 59.6% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 59.7% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 59.9% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 64.3% | +7.3% |
| 1998 | 65.5% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 65.5% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 65.4% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 65.3% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 65.4% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 65.9% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 66.0% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 66.1% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 66.9% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 69.4% | +3.7% |
| 2008 | 69.7% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 70.6% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 71.7% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 72.3% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 72.9% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 73.3% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 74.1% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 74.6% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 75.5% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 76.4% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 77.1% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 77.2% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 77.7% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 78.3% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 78.7% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 79.1% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 79.3% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 55.6% | 53.9% | 59.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 61.2% | 59.3% | 65.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.1% | 65.3% | 70.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.5% | 71.7% | 77.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.6% | 77.7% | 79.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: World
More education data for WB: World
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 34.10 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4213 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 337.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7454 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 314.66 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 651.68 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.66 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 206.57 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: World?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in WB: World was 79.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: World?
- The highest recorded value was 79.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: World?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.9% in 1981.
- How does WB: World rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- WB: World ranks 66th out of 201 groups with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: World 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