Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income): Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 84.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), 1976–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) stood at 84.8%. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) peaked at 84.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 27.3%, in 1980.
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 7th of 39 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 27.8% | — |
| 1977 | 27.8% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 27.9% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 27.7% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 27.3% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 28.3% | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 29.3% | +3.7% |
| 1983 | 28.7% | -2.3% |
| 1984 | 28.8% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 29.0% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 29.1% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 30.7% | +5.3% |
| 1988 | 40.5% | +31.9% |
| 1989 | 40.6% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 30.7% | -24.3% |
| 1991 | 40.9% | +33.0% |
| 1992 | 41.0% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 41.5% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 41.7% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 41.9% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 42.4% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 59.2% | +39.6% |
| 1998 | 59.3% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 59.0% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 59.3% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 59.2% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 59.5% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 60.0% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 60.0% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 60.3% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 63.4% | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 70.9% | +11.8% |
| 2008 | 71.1% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 73.4% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 74.4% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 75.5% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 76.8% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 77.3% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 79.0% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 80.1% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 81.2% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 82.4% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 83.8% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 84.8% | +1.2% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | +39.6% | 42.4% | 59.2% |
| 1991 | +33.0% | 30.7% | 40.9% |
| 1988 | +31.9% | 30.7% | 40.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.8% | 27.7% | 27.9% | 4 |
| 1980s | 31.2% | 27.3% | 40.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.8% | 30.7% | 59.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 63.7% | 59.2% | 73.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.5% | 74.4% | 84.8% | 10 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
- 4 Barbados 98.5% compare
- 5 Azerbaijan 98.5% compare
- 6 Uruguay 97.8% compare
- 7 Argentina 97.6% compare
- 8 Republic of Moldova 97.1% compare
- 9 Montenegro 96.9% compare
- 10 Grenada 96.2% compare
More reference data data for East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 1,740 (2026)
- CPI Price, nominal 142.49 (2026)
- CPI Price, nominal, seas. adj. 142.66 (2026)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 29.41 million number (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes 6.11 years (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 13.95 million number (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 15.47 million number (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, male 6.13 years (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, female 6.1 years (2019)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 84.2% (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) was 84.8% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 84.8% in 2019.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.3% in 1980.
- How does East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 7th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the population age 65 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of literates aged 65 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.