China vs South Asia: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male

China
92.8%
in 2018
South Asia
59.5%
in 2019
China rank
19th
South Asia rank
23rd

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

  • China
  • South Asia
020406080100197519972019

How they compare

China currently reports 92.8% against 59.5% in South Asia, a difference of 33.3%.

That makes China's figure about 1.6 times South Asia's.

Across all 5 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.

China ranks 19th and South Asia ranks 23rd of 83 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade China South Asia Difference Ahead
1980s 43.5% 33.3% 10.3% China
1990s 45.1% 39.2% 5.9% China
2000s 76.0% 48.4% 27.6% China
2010s 89.4% 55.7% 33.8% China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male, China or South Asia?
China, at 92.8% against 59.5% in South Asia as of 2018.
What is the difference in elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male between China and South Asia?
33.3%, 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, male?
China ranks 19th and South Asia ranks 23rd of 83 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs South Asia: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-male-percent/china/south-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
121 places, 2,187 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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