Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes was 13.30 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
13.30 million number
Change on year
up 2.2%
Rank
25th
of 38 groups
All-time high
13.30 million number
in 2019
All-time low
4.33 million number
in 1972
Years of data
48
1972–2019

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1972–2019

4.0M6.0M8.0M10.0M12.0M14.0M197219952019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2019, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 13.30 million number. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 21.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 13.30 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 4.33 million number, in 1972.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 25th of 38 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1972 to 2019.
Year number Change
1972 4.33 million number
1973 4.45 million number +2.8%
1974 4.57 million number +2.5%
1975 4.67 million number +2.3%
1976 4.80 million number +2.7%
1977 4.90 million number +2.1%
1978 4.99 million number +2.0%
1979 5.09 million number +1.9%
1980 5.19 million number +2.0%
1981 5.33 million number +2.7%
1982 5.47 million number +2.7%
1983 5.62 million number +2.6%
1984 5.79 million number +3.0%
1985 5.97 million number +3.2%
1986 6.18 million number +3.6%
1987 6.39 million number +3.4%
1988 6.61 million number +3.4%
1989 6.84 million number +3.4%
1990 6.99 million number +2.2%
1991 7.28 million number +4.1%
1992 7.55 million number +3.8%
1993 7.86 million number +4.1%
1994 8.16 million number +3.7%
1995 8.47 million number +3.8%
1996 8.75 million number +3.4%
1997 9.03 million number +3.1%
1998 9.28 million number +2.8%
1999 9.53 million number +2.7%
2000 9.77 million number +2.5%
2001 9.97 million number +2.1%
2002 10.12 million number +1.5%
2003 9.54 million number -5.7%
2004 9.76 million number +2.3%
2005 10.79 million number +10.5%
2006 10.91 million number +1.2%
2007 11.00 million number +0.8%
2008 11.14 million number +1.3%
2009 10.99 million number -1.4%
2010 11.14 million number +1.3%
2011 11.20 million number +0.5%
2012 11.35 million number +1.3%
2013 11.61 million number +2.3%
2014 11.40 million number -1.8%
2015 11.64 million number +2.1%
2016 12.54 million number +7.7%
2017 12.70 million number +1.3%
2018 13.02 million number +2.4%
2019 13.30 million number +2.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.73 million number 4.33 million number 5.09 million number 8
1980s 5.94 million number 5.19 million number 6.84 million number 10
1990s 8.29 million number 6.99 million number 9.53 million number 10
2000s 10.40 million number 9.54 million number 11.14 million number 10
2010s 11.99 million number 11.14 million number 13.30 million number 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

  1. 22 Peru 539,001 number compare
  2. 23 Malaysia 514,298 number compare
  3. 24 Tunisia 513,126 number compare
  4. 25 Uganda 480,705 number compare
  5. 26 Sri Lanka 468,087 number compare
  6. 27 Spain 433,822 number compare
  7. 28 Burkina Faso 427,270 number compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 13.30 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 13.30 million number in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 4.33 million number in 1972.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 25th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-both-sexes-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-excluding-high-income/

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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.