China vs South Asia: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes over time
- China
- South Asia
How they compare
China currently reports 85.0% against 44.1% in South Asia, a difference of 40.9%.
That makes China's figure about 1.9 times South Asia's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 5 shared years of data; in 1982 it was China ahead.
China ranks 23rd and South Asia ranks 24th of 83 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and South Asia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Asia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 24.1% | 21.1% | 3.0% | China |
| 1990s | 24.9% | 25.9% | 1.0% | South Asia |
| 2000s | 58.7% | 33.5% | 25.2% | China |
| 2010s | 79.4% | 40.8% | 38.6% | 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 South Asia?
- China, at 85.0% against 44.1% in South Asia as of 2018.
- What is the difference in elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes between China and South Asia?
- 40.9%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Asia?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2018.
- How do China and South Asia rank globally for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- China ranks 23rd and South Asia ranks 24th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.