Sri Lanka vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes

Sri Lanka
79.1%
in 2018
Sub-Saharan Africa
36.2%
in 2019
Sri Lanka rank
31st
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
32nd

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

  • Sri Lanka
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
20406080198120002019

How they compare

Sri Lanka currently reports 79.1% against 36.2% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 42.9%.

That makes Sri Lanka's figure about 2.2 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

Across all 7 years both countries report, Sri Lanka has been ahead every year.

Sri Lanka ranks 31st and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 32nd of 83 countries.

Sri Lanka has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Sri Lanka Sub-Saharan Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 74.8% 29.5% 45.4% Sri Lanka
2010s 79.3% 34.5% 44.7% Sri Lanka

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes, Sri Lanka or Sub-Saharan Africa?
Sri Lanka, at 79.1% against 36.2% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2018.
What is the difference in elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes between Sri Lanka and Sub-Saharan Africa?
42.9%, with Sri Lanka ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sri Lanka and Sub-Saharan Africa?
7 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2018.
How do Sri Lanka and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
Sri Lanka ranks 31st and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 32nd 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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Sri Lanka vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-both-sexes-percent/sri-lanka/sub-saharan-africa/

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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.