Singapore vs South Asia: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female

Singapore
78.9%
in 2018
South Asia
29.5%
in 2019
Singapore rank
26th
South Asia rank
24th

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female over time

  • Singapore
  • South Asia
020406080197519972019

How they compare

Singapore currently reports 78.9% against 29.5% in South Asia, a difference of 49.4%.

That makes Singapore's figure about 2.7 times South Asia's.

Across all 12 years both countries report, Singapore has been ahead every year.

Singapore ranks 26th and South Asia ranks 24th of 82 countries.

Singapore has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Singapore South Asia Difference Ahead
1980s 15.8% 8.4% 7.4% Singapore
1990s 28.5% 12.5% 16.0% Singapore
2000s 41.2% 19.2% 22.0% Singapore
2010s 72.7% 26.2% 46.4% Singapore

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female, Singapore or South Asia?
Singapore, at 78.9% against 29.5% in South Asia as of 2018.
What is the difference in elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female between Singapore and South Asia?
49.4%, with Singapore ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Singapore and South Asia?
12 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2018.
How do Singapore and South Asia rank globally for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female?
Singapore ranks 26th and South Asia ranks 24th of 82 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Singapore vs South Asia: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-female-percent/singapore/south-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
121 places, 2,197 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of females 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 female literates aged 65 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.