Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)

Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female was 13.77 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
13.77 million number
Change on year
up 2.3%
Rank
19th
of 38 groups
All-time high
13.77 million number
in 2019
All-time low
6.05 million number
in 1984
Years of data
36
1984–2019

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1984–2019

05.0M10.0M15.0M1984200120191984: 6.0M number1985: 6.2M number1986: 6.4M number1987: 6.6M number1988: 6.8M number1989: 7.0M number1990: 7.2M number1991: 7.5M number1992: 7.7M number1993: 7.9M number1994: 8.1M number1995: 8.3M number1996: 8.5M number1997: 8.7M number1998: 8.8M number1999: 9.0M number2000: 9.3M number2001: 9.5M number2002: 9.8M number2003: 10.0M number2004: 10.2M number2005: 10.4M number2006: 10.0M number2007: 10.6M number2008: 10.6M number2009: 10.7M number2010: 10.9M number2011: 11.3M number2012: 11.7M number2013: 11.9M number2014: 12.1M number2015: 12.4M number2016: 12.6M number2017: 13.2M number2018: 13.5M number2019: 13.8M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2019, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 13.77 million number. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 29.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 13.77 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 6.05 million number, in 1984.

Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 19th of 38 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female (number) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1984 to 2019.
Year number Change
1984 6.05 million number
1985 6.20 million number +2.5%
1986 6.40 million number +3.1%
1987 6.59 million number +3.0%
1988 6.77 million number +2.8%
1989 6.97 million number +2.9%
1990 7.16 million number +2.8%
1991 7.45 million number +4.1%
1992 7.67 million number +2.9%
1993 7.87 million number +2.6%
1994 8.07 million number +2.6%
1995 8.25 million number +2.2%
1996 8.48 million number +2.8%
1997 8.68 million number +2.4%
1998 8.85 million number +1.9%
1999 9.03 million number +2.0%
2000 9.33 million number +3.3%
2001 9.55 million number +2.4%
2002 9.79 million number +2.6%
2003 9.99 million number +2.1%
2004 10.21 million number +2.1%
2005 10.39 million number +1.8%
2006 10.00 million number -3.7%
2007 10.59 million number +5.9%
2008 10.63 million number +0.4%
2009 10.67 million number +0.4%
2010 10.94 million number +2.5%
2011 11.30 million number +3.3%
2012 11.66 million number +3.1%
2013 11.86 million number +1.7%
2014 12.08 million number +1.9%
2015 12.37 million number +2.4%
2016 12.63 million number +2.1%
2017 13.23 million number +4.8%
2018 13.47 million number +1.8%
2019 13.77 million number +2.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 6.49 million number 6.05 million number 6.97 million number 6
1990s 8.15 million number 7.16 million number 9.03 million number 10
2000s 10.12 million number 9.33 million number 10.67 million number 10
2010s 12.33 million number 10.94 million number 13.77 million number 10

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)

  1. 16 Vietnam 834,804 number compare
  2. 17 Nepal 799,830 number compare
  3. 18 Tanzania 538,081 number compare
  4. 19 Mozambique 435,883 number compare
  5. 20 Peru 425,601 number compare
  6. 21 Colombia 393,029 number compare
  7. 22 Uganda 368,379 number compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 13.77 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 13.77 million number in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 6.05 million number in 1984.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female?
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 19th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-female-number/sub-saharan-africa-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.