Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in China

China: Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male was 5.26 million number in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
5.26 million number
World rank
2nd
of 83 countries
All-time high
16.95 million number
in 1990
All-time low
5.26 million number
in 2018
Years of data
5
1982–2018

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in China, 1982–2018

5.0M7.5M10.0M12.5M15.0M17.5M1982200020181982: 13.0M number1990: 17.0M number2000: 10.0M number2010: 7.4M number2018: 5.3M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in China is 5.26 million number, measured in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of down 28.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in China peaked at 16.95 million number in 1990 and was at its lowest, 5.26 million number, in 2018.

China ranks 2nd of 83 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in China, year by year

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male (number) in China, 1982 to 2018.
Year number Change
1982 12.98 million number —
1990 16.95 million number +30.6%
2000 9.99 million number -41.1%
2010 7.36 million number -26.3%
2018 5.26 million number -28.6%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 5.26 million number is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 113,399 number, 46.3× the median. (31 countries reporting)
  • China's 5.26 million number is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 59,392 number, 88.5× the median. (13 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 12.98 million number 12.98 million number 12.98 million number 1
1990s 16.95 million number 16.95 million number 16.95 million number 1
2000s 9.99 million number 9.99 million number 9.99 million number 1
2010s 6.31 million number 5.26 million number 7.36 million number 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 India 15.41 million number compare
  2. 3 Pakistan 2.84 million number compare
  3. 4 Bangladesh 2.03 million number compare
  4. 5 Brazil 1.66 million number compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in China?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in China was 5.26 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 16.95 million number in 1990.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 5.26 million number in 2018.
How does China rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male?
China ranks 2nd out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-male-number/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
121 places, 2,212 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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