Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malawi

Malawi: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 35.1% in 2015. ▲ Rising

Latest (2015)
35.1%
Change on year
down 6.4%
World rank
66th
of 83 countries
All-time high
37.5%
in 2014
All-time low
24.8%
in 1987
Years of data
5
1987–2015

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malawi, 1987–2015

0102030401987200120151987: 24.8 %1998: 35.7 %2010: 34.6 %2014: 37.5 %2015: 35.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malawi is 35.1%, measured in 2015.

That represents a change of down 6.4% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 37.5% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 24.8%, in 1987.

That places Malawi 66th out of 83 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 24.8% 24.8% 24.8% 1
1990s 35.7% 35.7% 35.7% 1
2010s 35.8% 34.6% 37.5% 3

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 63 Tunisia 39.8% compare
  2. 64 Bangladesh 39.4% compare
  3. 65 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 36.8% compare
  4. 67 Morocco 34.1% compare
  5. 68 Algeria 33.5% compare
  6. 69 Egypt 32.9% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malawi?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malawi was 35.1% in 2015, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 37.5% in 2014.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 24.8% in 1987.
How does Malawi rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
Malawi ranks 66th out of 83 countries with data for 2015.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malawi 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-both-sexes-percent/malawi/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-both-sexes-percent/malawi/">Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Malawi</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,190 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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.