Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)

East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries): Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female was 24.58 million number in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
24.58 million number
Change on year
down 1.3%
Rank
12th
of 38 groups
All-time high
41.25 million number
in 1996
All-time low
24.58 million number
in 2019
Years of data
44
1976–2019

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), 1976–2019

010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M1976199720191976: 26.0M number1977: 26.9M number1978: 27.9M number1979: 28.9M number1980: 30.0M number1981: 30.9M number1982: 32.0M number1983: 33.0M number1984: 34.0M number1985: 35.0M number1986: 36.0M number1987: 36.3M number1988: 33.9M number1989: 34.7M number1990: 39.1M number1991: 36.5M number1992: 37.4M number1993: 38.2M number1994: 39.1M number1995: 40.1M number1996: 41.2M number1997: 31.3M number1998: 32.1M number1999: 33.3M number2000: 34.2M number2001: 35.0M number2002: 35.6M number2003: 36.1M number2004: 37.0M number2005: 37.5M number2006: 35.8M number2007: 29.4M number2008: 29.8M number2009: 28.1M number2010: 27.8M number2011: 27.4M number2012: 26.9M number2013: 27.1M number2014: 25.7M number2015: 26.0M number2016: 25.8M number2017: 25.5M number2018: 24.9M number2019: 24.6M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) is 24.58 million number, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 12.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 41.25 million number in 1996 and was at its lowest, 24.58 million number, in 2019.

That places East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 12th out of 38 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female (number) in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), 1976 to 2019.
Year number Change
1976 25.95 million number
1977 26.91 million number +3.7%
1978 27.87 million number +3.6%
1979 28.94 million number +3.8%
1980 30.04 million number +3.8%
1981 30.91 million number +2.9%
1982 31.96 million number +3.4%
1983 32.98 million number +3.2%
1984 33.99 million number +3.0%
1985 34.98 million number +2.9%
1986 36.02 million number +3.0%
1987 36.32 million number +0.8%
1988 33.90 million number -6.7%
1989 34.75 million number +2.5%
1990 39.09 million number +12.5%
1991 36.45 million number -6.7%
1992 37.38 million number +2.5%
1993 38.16 million number +2.1%
1994 39.14 million number +2.6%
1995 40.07 million number +2.4%
1996 41.25 million number +2.9%
1997 31.34 million number -24.0%
1998 32.12 million number +2.5%
1999 33.27 million number +3.6%
2000 34.23 million number +2.9%
2001 34.96 million number +2.1%
2002 35.63 million number +1.9%
2003 36.12 million number +1.4%
2004 37.01 million number +2.5%
2005 37.50 million number +1.3%
2006 35.78 million number -4.6%
2007 29.41 million number -17.8%
2008 29.78 million number +1.3%
2009 28.12 million number -5.6%
2010 27.77 million number -1.2%
2011 27.41 million number -1.3%
2012 26.87 million number -2.0%
2013 27.08 million number +0.8%
2014 25.71 million number -5.1%
2015 25.96 million number +1.0%
2016 25.77 million number -0.7%
2017 25.54 million number -0.9%
2018 24.90 million number -2.5%
2019 24.58 million number -1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 27.42 million number 25.95 million number 28.94 million number 4
1980s 33.58 million number 30.04 million number 36.32 million number 10
1990s 36.83 million number 31.34 million number 41.25 million number 10
2000s 33.85 million number 28.12 million number 37.50 million number 10
2010s 26.16 million number 24.58 million number 27.77 million number 10

Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)

  1. 9 Iran, Islamic Republic of 1.66 million number compare
  2. 10 Türkiye 1.14 million number compare
  3. 11 Mexico 1.13 million number compare
  4. 12 Algeria 1.10 million number compare
  5. 13 Thailand 1.09 million number compare
  6. 14 Morocco 1.09 million number compare
  7. 15 South Africa 874,905 number compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)

All data for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) was 24.58 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female recorded in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The highest recorded value was 41.25 million number in 1996.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female recorded in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The lowest recorded value was 24.58 million number in 2019.
How does East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female?
East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 12th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-female-number/east-asia-and-pacific-ida-and-ibrd-countries/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
121 places, 2,221 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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