Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in China

China: Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes was 23.46 million number in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
23.46 million number
World rank
2nd
of 82 countries
All-time high
49.47 million number
in 1990
All-time low
23.46 million number
in 2018
Years of data
5
1982–2018

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in China, 1982–2018

010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M50.0M1982200020181982: 39.3M number1990: 49.5M number2000: 36.7M number2010: 28.9M number2018: 23.5M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

China recorded 23.46 million number for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in China peaked at 49.47 million number in 1990 and was at its lowest, 23.46 million number, in 2018.

China ranks 2nd of 82 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in China, year by year

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes (number) in China, 1982 to 2018.
Year number Change
1982 39.30 million number —
1990 49.47 million number +25.9%
2000 36.69 million number -25.8%
2010 28.92 million number -21.2%
2018 23.46 million number -18.9%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 23.46 million number is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 312,616 number, 75.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
  • China's 23.46 million number is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 266,943 number, 87.9× the median. (13 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 39.30 million number 39.30 million number 39.30 million number 1
1990s 49.47 million number 49.47 million number 49.47 million number 1
2000s 36.69 million number 36.69 million number 36.69 million number 1
2010s 26.19 million number 23.46 million number 28.92 million number 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 India 45.66 million number compare
  2. 3 Pakistan 6.75 million number compare
  3. 4 Bangladesh 5.16 million number compare
  4. 5 Indonesia 4.05 million number compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in China?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in China was 23.46 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 49.47 million number in 1990.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 23.46 million number in 2018.
How does China rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes?
China ranks 2nd out of 82 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-both-sexes-number/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,196 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults over age 65 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.