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

Mexico: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 80.7% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
80.7%
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
28th
of 83 countries
All-time high
80.7%
in 2018
All-time low
58.2%
in 1980
Years of data
19
1980–2018

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Mexico, 1980–2018

0204060801980199920181980: 58.2 %1990: 62.6 %2000: 67.3 %2002: 63.5 %2004: 65.6 %2005: 68.8 %2006: 71.4 %2007: 72.7 %2008: 72.7 %2009: 74.9 %2010: 71.5 %2011: 72.2 %2012: 75.6 %2013: 76.2 %2014: 77.6 %2015: 77 %2016: 78.9 %2017: 79.4 %2018: 80.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Mexico stood at 80.7%. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and up 10.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Mexico peaked at 80.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 58.2%, in 1980.

Mexico ranks 28th of 83 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 58.2% 58.2% 58.2% 1
1990s 62.6% 62.6% 62.6% 1
2000s 69.6% 63.5% 74.9% 8
2010s 76.6% 71.5% 80.7% 9

Countries ranked near Mexico

  1. 25 Colombia 83.3% compare
  2. 26 Macau (China) 81.2% compare
  3. 27 Suriname 81.0% compare
  4. 29 Türkiye 80.4% compare
  5. 30 Dominican Republic 79.8% compare
  6. 31 Sri Lanka 79.1% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Mexico

All data for Mexico →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Mexico?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Mexico was 80.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Mexico?
The highest recorded value was 80.7% in 2018.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Mexico?
The lowest recorded value was 58.2% in 1980.
How does Mexico rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
Mexico ranks 28th out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Mexico?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Mexico 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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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Mexico. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-both-sexes-percent/mexico/

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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.