Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female was 8.95 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
8.95 million number
Change on year
up 2.8%
Rank
24th
of 39 groups
All-time high
8.95 million number
in 2019
All-time low
2.84 million number
in 1973
Years of data
47
1973–2019

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1973–2019

2.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M197319962019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2019, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan stood at 8.95 million number. That is the highest value across all 47 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 22.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 8.95 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2.84 million number, in 1973.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 24th of 39 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1973 to 2019.
Year number Change
1973 2.84 million number
1974 2.92 million number +2.8%
1975 2.99 million number +2.6%
1976 3.07 million number +2.7%
1977 3.14 million number +2.3%
1978 3.21 million number +2.2%
1979 3.28 million number +2.2%
1980 3.36 million number +2.3%
1981 3.45 million number +2.7%
1982 3.54 million number +2.8%
1983 3.59 million number +1.4%
1984 3.70 million number +3.0%
1985 3.82 million number +3.2%
1986 3.96 million number +3.6%
1987 4.10 million number +3.6%
1988 4.25 million number +3.6%
1989 4.40 million number +3.6%
1990 4.53 million number +2.9%
1991 4.70 million number +3.8%
1992 4.88 million number +3.6%
1993 5.08 million number +4.1%
1994 5.25 million number +3.5%
1995 5.45 million number +3.7%
1996 5.63 million number +3.4%
1997 5.81 million number +3.2%
1998 5.98 million number +2.9%
1999 6.15 million number +2.9%
2000 6.33 million number +2.8%
2001 6.48 million number +2.4%
2002 6.61 million number +2.0%
2003 6.50 million number -1.8%
2004 6.66 million number +2.6%
2005 7.14 million number +7.2%
2006 7.17 million number +0.4%
2007 7.28 million number +1.5%
2008 7.41 million number +1.7%
2009 7.32 million number -1.2%
2010 7.46 million number +2.0%
2011 7.44 million number -0.3%
2012 7.42 million number -0.3%
2013 7.62 million number +2.6%
2014 7.66 million number +0.6%
2015 7.84 million number +2.3%
2016 8.28 million number +5.6%
2017 8.44 million number +2.0%
2018 8.71 million number +3.1%
2019 8.95 million number +2.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 3.06 million number 2.84 million number 3.28 million number 7
1980s 3.82 million number 3.36 million number 4.40 million number 10
1990s 5.35 million number 4.53 million number 6.15 million number 10
2000s 6.89 million number 6.33 million number 7.41 million number 10
2010s 7.98 million number 7.42 million number 8.95 million number 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

  1. 21 Colombia 393,029 number compare
  2. 22 Uganda 368,379 number compare
  3. 23 Malaysia 367,473 number compare
  4. 24 Tunisia 346,148 number compare
  5. 25 Sri Lanka 327,358 number compare
  6. 26 Spain 321,347 number compare
  7. 27 Côte d'Ivoire 294,391 number compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 8.95 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?
The highest recorded value was 8.95 million number in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
The lowest recorded value was 2.84 million number in 1973.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 24th 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?
Over the last ten years it is up 22.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-female-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan/

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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.