Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female by country
Share of the elderly illiterate population that is female.
Countries reporting
79
Highest
99.9%
Uzbekistan
Lowest
36.7%
Namibia
Median
66.3%
Years covered
50
1970–2019
Data points
2,196
What the numbers show
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female is currently reported for 79 countries. The highest value is 99.9% in Uzbekistan; the lowest is 36.7% in Namibia.
The median across all reporting countries is 66.3%, and the mean is 67.3%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 3.
Over the past decade 50 countries rose and 29 fell. The largest increase was in Uzbekistan (up 140.6%), and the largest decrease in Namibia (down 41.7%).
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 99.9% | 2018 | up 140.6% | rising |
| 2 | Montenegro | 90.6% | 2018 | down 1.3% | rising |
| 3 | Turkey | 85.4% | 2017 | up 7.8% | rising |
| 4 | Palestine | 84.9% | 2018 | up 11.9% | rising |
| 5 | Vietnam | 84.8% | 2018 | down 0.9% | rising |
| 6 | Moldova | 84.7% | 2014 | up 4.4% | flat |
| 8 | Jordan | 82.1% | 2018 | up 16.1% | rising |
| 9 | Sao Tome and Principe | 81.5% | 2018 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 10 | Zambia | 81.2% | 2018 | up 7.9% | rising |
| 11 | Cambodia | 80.3% | 2015 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 12 | Peru | 79.0% | 2018 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 13 | Greece | 78.9% | 2018 | up 11.1% | falling |
| 14 | Brunei | 78.3% | 2018 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 15 | Macao | 78.2% | 2016 | down 2.1% | falling |
| 16 | China | 77.6% | 2018 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 17 | Malawi | 77.0% | 2015 | down 3.1% | rising |
| 18 | Uganda | 76.6% | 2018 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 19 | Bolivia | 75.4% | 2015 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 20 | Laos | 74.2% | 2015 | up 3.8% | flat |
| 21 | Spain | 74.1% | 2018 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 22 | Portugal | 74.0% | 2018 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 23 | Mozambique | 73.6% | 2017 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 24 | Central African Republic | 73.1% | 2018 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 25 | Indonesia | 73.0% | 2018 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 26 | Bahrain | 72.0% | 2018 | up 24.3% | rising |
| 27 | Kuwait | 72.0% | 2018 | up 10.3% | rising |
| 28 | Malaysia | 71.5% | 2018 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 29 | Rwanda | 71.2% | 2018 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 30 | Tanzania | 70.7% | 2015 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 31 | Senegal | 70.1% | 2017 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 32 | Thailand | 70.1% | 2015 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 33 | Sri Lanka | 69.9% | 2018 | down 2.0% | flat |
| 34 | Cameroon | 69.8% | 2018 | up 9.2% | rising |
| 35 | Suriname | 69.4% | 2018 | down 3.4% | flat |
| 36 | Eswatini | 69.3% | 2018 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 37 | Argentina | 68.8% | 2018 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 38 | Tunisia | 67.5% | 2014 | up 12.4% | rising |
| 39 | Saudi Arabia | 67.2% | 2017 | up 13.8% | rising |
| 40 | Burundi | 66.9% | 2017 | up 7.8% | rising |
| 41 | India | 66.3% | 2018 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 42 | Morocco | 65.7% | 2018 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 43 | El Salvador | 65.2% | 2018 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 44 | Nepal | 65.1% | 2018 | up 7.5% | flat |
| 45 | South Africa | 64.9% | 2017 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 46 | Guatemala | 64.8% | 2014 | up 11.3% | rising |
| 47 | Burkina Faso | 64.8% | 2018 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 48 | Togo | 64.7% | 2015 | up 7.1% | rising |
| 49 | Azerbaijan | 64.2% | 2017 | down 18.9% | falling |
| 51 | Albania | 63.9% | 2018 | down 12.6% | falling |
| 52 | Egypt | 63.3% | 2017 | down 2.2% | flat |
| 53 | Venezuela | 61.9% | 2016 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 54 | Mali | 61.8% | 2018 | up 6.3% | rising |
| 55 | Algeria | 61.7% | 2018 | up 4.9% | flat |
| 56 | Benin | 61.4% | 2018 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 57 | Kazakhstan | 61.2% | 2018 | down 24.7% | falling |
| 58 | Ecuador | 60.8% | 2017 | down 3.5% | rising |
| 59 | Bangladesh | 60.8% | 2019 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 60 | Nigeria | 60.4% | 2018 | up 2.9% | flat |
| 61 | Philippines | 59.9% | 2015 | up 3.9% | flat |
| 62 | Honduras | 59.4% | 2018 | up 2.8% | flat |
| 63 | Grenada | 59.1% | 2014 | down 2.3% | falling |
| 64 | Paraguay | 58.8% | 2018 | up 5.5% | falling |
| 65 | Barbados | 58.6% | 2014 | down 2.9% | falling |
| 66 | Brazil | 58.5% | 2018 | down 1.7% | flat |
| 67 | Chile | 58.3% | 2017 | up 3.6% | flat |
| 68 | Pakistan | 57.9% | 2017 | up 5.5% | rising |
| 69 | Dominican Republic | 57.7% | 2016 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 70 | Iran | 57.1% | 2016 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 71 | Colombia | 55.9% | 2018 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 72 | Vanuatu | 55.3% | 2018 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 73 | Oman | 54.3% | 2018 | up 3.5% | flat |
| 75 | Cote d'Ivoire | 52.9% | 2018 | down 4.1% | rising |
| 76 | Maldives | 52.8% | 2016 | up 13.5% | rising |
| 77 | Seychelles | 51.9% | 2018 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 78 | Qatar | 51.5% | 2017 | up 13.5% | rising |
| 79 | Uruguay | 51.5% | 2018 | down 6.8% | falling |
| 80 | Tonga | 49.4% | 2018 | down 25.1% | falling |
| 81 | Malta | 47.9% | 2018 | down 20.8% | falling |
| 82 | Namibia | 36.7% | 2018 | down 41.7% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 85.5%
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 83.5%
- Central Europe and the Baltics 78.5%
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 76.5%
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 76.5%
- East Asia & Pacific 75.0%
- Late-demographic dividend 73.7%
- Upper middle income 72.3%
- IBRD only 69.1%
- Middle income 67.8%
- World 67.7%
- IDA & IBRD total 67.5%
About this data
Share of the elderly illiterate population that is female.