Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male was 4.86 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
4.86 million number
Change on year
up 1.4%
Rank
27th
of 38 groups
All-time high
4.86 million number
in 2019
All-time low
1.74 million number
in 1972
Years of data
48
1972–2019

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1972–2019

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M5.0M197219952019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2019, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) stood at 4.86 million number. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 16.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 4.86 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.74 million number, in 1972.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 27th of 38 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1972 to 2019.
Year number Change
1972 1.74 million number
1973 1.79 million number +2.6%
1974 1.83 million number +2.4%
1975 1.87 million number +2.1%
1976 1.92 million number +2.8%
1977 1.96 million number +2.0%
1978 1.99 million number +1.8%
1979 2.03 million number +1.7%
1980 2.06 million number +1.7%
1981 2.12 million number +2.8%
1982 2.17 million number +2.6%
1983 2.27 million number +4.7%
1984 2.34 million number +2.9%
1985 2.41 million number +3.0%
1986 2.50 million number +3.7%
1987 2.58 million number +3.2%
1988 2.67 million number +3.3%
1989 2.75 million number +3.3%
1990 2.79 million number +1.4%
1991 2.92 million number +4.4%
1992 3.03 million number +4.0%
1993 3.15 million number +4.0%
1994 3.28 million number +4.0%
1995 3.41 million number +3.8%
1996 3.52 million number +3.3%
1997 3.62 million number +2.9%
1998 3.71 million number +2.5%
1999 3.79 million number +2.2%
2000 3.87 million number +2.1%
2001 3.93 million number +1.5%
2002 3.97 million number +1.0%
2003 3.50 million number -11.9%
2004 3.55 million number +1.7%
2005 4.11 million number +15.7%
2006 4.21 million number +2.4%
2007 4.21 million number -0.1%
2008 4.23 million number +0.7%
2009 4.18 million number -1.3%
2010 4.18 million number +0.1%
2011 4.20 million number +0.5%
2012 4.38 million number +4.2%
2013 4.43 million number +1.1%
2014 4.21 million number -5.0%
2015 4.28 million number +1.7%
2016 4.72 million number +10.2%
2017 4.74 million number +0.5%
2018 4.80 million number +1.1%
2019 4.86 million number +1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1.89 million number 1.74 million number 2.03 million number 8
1980s 2.39 million number 2.06 million number 2.75 million number 10
1990s 3.32 million number 2.79 million number 3.79 million number 10
2000s 3.98 million number 3.50 million number 4.23 million number 10
2010s 4.48 million number 4.18 million number 4.86 million number 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  1. 24 Viet Nam 149,236 number compare
  2. 25 Chad 147,488 number compare
  3. 26 Malaysia 146,825 number compare
  4. 27 Sri Lanka 140,729 number compare
  5. 28 Benin 132,476 number compare
  6. 29 Saudi Arabia 130,246 number compare
  7. 30 Guatemala 124,658 number compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 4.86 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 4.86 million number in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 1.74 million number in 1972.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 27th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-male-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-ida-and-ibrd/

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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.