Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Spain

Spain: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female was 98.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
98.7%
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
7th
of 90 countries
All-time high
98.7%
in 2021
All-time low
72.2%
in 1981
Years of data
18
1981–2021

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Spain, 1981–2021

0204060801001981200120211981: 72.2 %1991: 85.8 %2004: 88 %2005: 89.6 %2006: 90 %2007: 90.4 %2008: 89.7 %2009: 90 %2010: 90.2 %2011: 90.7 %2012: 91.2 %2013: 91.8 %2014: 92.1 %2015: 92.3 %2016: 93 %2018: 93.7 %2020: 94.8 %2021: 98.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Spain is 98.7%, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.

The figure is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Spain peaked at 98.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 72.2%, in 1981.

That places Spain 7th out of 90 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Spain, year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%) in Spain, 1981 to 2021.
Year % Change
1981 72.2%
1991 85.8% +18.9%
2004 88.0% +2.6%
2005 89.6% +1.8%
2006 90.0% +0.4%
2007 90.4% +0.5%
2008 89.7% -0.9%
2009 90.0% +0.4%
2010 90.2% +0.3%
2011 90.7% +0.5%
2012 91.2% +0.5%
2013 91.8% +0.7%
2014 92.1% +0.3%
2015 92.3% +0.2%
2016 93.0% +0.7%
2018 93.7% +0.8%
2020 94.8% +1.1%
2021 98.7% +4.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 72.2% 72.2% 72.2% 1
1990s 85.8% 85.8% 85.8% 1
2000s 89.6% 88.0% 90.4% 6
2010s 91.9% 90.2% 93.7% 8
2020s 96.8% 94.8% 98.7% 2

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 4 Tonga 99.2% compare
  2. 5 Azerbaijan 98.9% compare
  3. 6 Mongolia 98.8% compare
  4. 8 Uruguay 98.6% compare
  5. 9 Serbia 98.0% compare
  6. 10 Montenegro 97.1% compare

See the full ranking of 291 places →

More education data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Spain?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Spain was 98.7% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 98.7% in 2021.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 72.2% in 1981.
How does Spain rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female?
Spain ranks 7th out of 90 countries with data for 2021.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Spain data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Spain. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-female-percent-2/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
291 places, 9,562 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release