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

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female was 8.43 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
8.43 million number
Change on year
up 2.7%
Rank
25th
of 39 groups
All-time high
8.43 million number
in 2019
All-time low
2.51 million number
in 1971
Years of data
49
1971–2019

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1971–2019

2.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M197119952019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) is 8.43 million number, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 24.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 8.43 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2.51 million number, in 1971.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 25th of 39 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1971 to 2019.
Year number Change
1971 2.51 million number
1972 2.58 million number +3.1%
1973 2.66 million number +2.9%
1974 2.73 million number +2.7%
1975 2.80 million number +2.4%
1976 2.87 million number +2.6%
1977 2.93 million number +2.2%
1978 2.99 million number +2.1%
1979 3.05 million number +2.1%
1980 3.12 million number +2.2%
1981 3.20 million number +2.7%
1982 3.29 million number +2.7%
1983 3.33 million number +1.3%
1984 3.44 million number +3.1%
1985 3.55 million number +3.3%
1986 3.67 million number +3.5%
1987 3.80 million number +3.5%
1988 3.94 million number +3.6%
1989 4.08 million number +3.6%
1990 4.19 million number +2.7%
1991 4.35 million number +3.9%
1992 4.51 million number +3.7%
1993 4.70 million number +4.2%
1994 4.86 million number +3.5%
1995 5.05 million number +3.8%
1996 5.22 million number +3.4%
1997 5.40 million number +3.3%
1998 5.56 million number +3.0%
1999 5.72 million number +2.9%
2000 5.88 million number +2.9%
2001 6.03 million number +2.4%
2002 6.15 million number +2.1%
2003 6.04 million number -1.8%
2004 6.20 million number +2.6%
2005 6.67 million number +7.6%
2006 6.68 million number +0.2%
2007 6.78 million number +1.5%
2008 6.90 million number +1.6%
2009 6.80 million number -1.4%
2010 6.94 million number +2.0%
2011 6.98 million number +0.6%
2012 6.95 million number -0.4%
2013 7.17 million number +3.1%
2014 7.18 million number +0.2%
2015 7.35 million number +2.3%
2016 7.81 million number +6.3%
2017 7.96 million number +2.0%
2018 8.21 million number +3.2%
2019 8.43 million number +2.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.79 million number 2.51 million number 3.05 million number 9
1980s 3.54 million number 3.12 million number 4.08 million number 10
1990s 4.96 million number 4.19 million number 5.72 million number 10
2000s 6.41 million number 5.88 million number 6.90 million number 10
2010s 7.50 million number 6.94 million number 8.43 million number 10

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

  1. 22 Uganda 368,379 number compare
  2. 23 Malaysia 367,473 number compare
  3. 24 Tunisia 346,148 number compare
  4. 25 Sri Lanka 327,358 number compare
  5. 26 Spain 321,347 number compare
  6. 27 Côte d'Ivoire 294,391 number compare
  7. 28 Cameroon 285,451 number compare

See the full ranking of 121 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, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 8.43 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 8.43 million number in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 2.51 million number in 1971.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 25th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.0%. 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, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-female-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-excluding-high-income/

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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.