China vs Lower middle income: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes

China
85.0%
in 2018
Lower middle income
50.8%
in 2019
China rank
23rd
Lower middle income rank
23rd

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes over time

  • China
  • Lower middle income
20406080197519972019

How they compare

China currently reports 85.0% against 50.8% in Lower middle income, a difference of 34.2%.

That makes China's figure about 1.7 times Lower middle income's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 5 shared years of data; in 1982 it was Lower middle income ahead.

China ranks 23rd and Lower middle income ranks 23rd of 83 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Lower middle income in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Lower middle income Difference Ahead
1980s 24.1% 33.5% 9.3% Lower middle income
1990s 24.9% 36.2% 11.3% Lower middle income
2000s 58.7% 41.3% 17.4% China
2010s 79.4% 48.1% 31.3% China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes, China or Lower middle income?
China, at 85.0% against 50.8% in Lower middle income as of 2018.
What is the difference in elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes between China and Lower middle income?
34.2%, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Lower middle income?
5 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2018.
How do China and Lower middle income rank globally for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
China ranks 23rd and Lower middle income ranks 23rd of 83 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Lower middle income: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-both-sexes-percent/china/lower-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,190 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the population age 65 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of literates aged 65 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.