Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in India

India: Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female was 66.3% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
66.3%
World rank
41st
of 82 countries
All-time high
66.3%
in 2018
All-time low
58.4%
in 1981
Years of data
6
1981–2018

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in India, 1981–2018

02040601981199920181981: 58.41991: 60.22001: 64.42006: 652011: 65.42018: 66.3

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in India is 66.3%, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

The figure is up 1.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in India peaked at 66.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 58.4%, in 1981.

That places India 41st out of 82 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in India, year by year

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in India, 1981 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1981 58.4% —
1991 60.2% +3.0%
2001 64.4% +7.0%
2006 65.0% +1.0%
2011 65.4% +0.5%
2018 66.3% +1.4%

India compared with similar countries

  • India's 66.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 66.0%, 1.0× the median. (26 countries reporting)
  • India's 66.3% is above the median for South Asia, which is 65.1%, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 58.4% 58.4% 58.4% 1
1990s 60.2% 60.2% 60.2% 1
2000s 64.7% 64.4% 65.0% 2
2010s 65.8% 65.4% 66.3% 2

Countries ranked near India

  1. 38 Tunisia 67.5% compare
  2. 39 Saudi Arabia 67.2% compare
  3. 40 Burundi 66.9% compare
  4. 42 Morocco 65.7% compare
  5. 43 El Salvador 65.2% compare
  6. 44 Nepal 65.1% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in India?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in India was 66.3% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 66.3% in 2018.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 58.4% in 1981.
How does India rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female?
India ranks 41st out of 82 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in India. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-percent-female/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,196 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Share of the elderly illiterate population that is female.