Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female was 65.1% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
65.1%
Change on year
up 0.1%
Rank
17th
of 37 groups
All-time high
65.1%
in 2019
All-time low
60.1%
in 1984
Years of data
36
1984–2019

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1984–2019

02040601984200120191984: 60.11985: 60.21986: 60.21987: 60.21988: 60.31989: 60.41990: 60.51991: 60.31992: 60.61993: 60.71994: 60.81995: 611996: 61.11997: 61.51998: 61.91999: 62.22000: 62.22001: 62.52002: 62.82003: 632004: 63.82005: 64.12006: 63.92007: 63.52008: 63.72009: 642010: 64.12011: 64.42012: 64.42013: 64.72014: 64.82015: 64.82016: 652017: 64.92018: 652019: 65.1

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2019, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 65.1%. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 65.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 60.1%, in 1984.

That places Sub-Saharan Africa 17th out of 37 groups with data for 2019, putting it 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, year by year

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1984 to 2019.
Year Value Change
1984 60.1%
1985 60.2% +0.2%
1986 60.2% -0.1%
1987 60.2% +0.1%
1988 60.3% +0.1%
1989 60.4% +0.2%
1990 60.5% +0.1%
1991 60.3% -0.2%
1992 60.6% +0.4%
1993 60.7% +0.3%
1994 60.8% +0.1%
1995 61.0% +0.3%
1996 61.1% +0.3%
1997 61.5% +0.5%
1998 61.9% +0.6%
1999 62.2% +0.6%
2000 62.2% +0.0%
2001 62.5% +0.5%
2002 62.8% +0.4%
2003 63.0% +0.4%
2004 63.8% +1.2%
2005 64.1% +0.6%
2006 63.9% -0.3%
2007 63.5% -0.6%
2008 63.7% +0.3%
2009 64.0% +0.4%
2010 64.1% +0.1%
2011 64.4% +0.5%
2012 64.4% +0.1%
2013 64.7% +0.4%
2014 64.8% +0.2%
2015 64.8% +0.0%
2016 65.0% +0.3%
2017 64.9% -0.1%
2018 65.0% +0.1%
2019 65.1% +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 60.2% 60.1% 60.4% 6
1990s 61.0% 60.3% 62.2% 10
2000s 63.4% 62.2% 64.1% 10
2010s 64.7% 64.1% 65.1% 10

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa

  1. 14 Brunei Darussalam 78.3% compare
  2. 15 Macau, China 78.2% compare
  3. 16 China (People’s Republic of) 77.6% compare
  4. 17 Malawi 77.0% compare
  5. 18 Uganda 76.6% compare
  6. 19 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 75.4% compare
  7. 20 Lao People's Democratic Republic 74.2% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Sub-Saharan Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in Sub-Saharan Africa was 65.1% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 65.1% in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 60.1% in 1984.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 17th out of 37 groups with data for 2019.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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 Sub-Saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-percent-female/sub-saharan-africa/

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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.