Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 38.0% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1972–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 38.0%. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
The figure is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 31.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 38.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 1972.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 27th out of 39 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 13.4% | — |
| 1973 | 13.4% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 13.4% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 13.4% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 14.1% | +5.3% |
| 1977 | 13.7% | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 14.0% | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 14.2% | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 14.5% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 14.7% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 15.0% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 15.1% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 15.2% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 15.2% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 16.0% | +5.1% |
| 1987 | 15.7% | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 15.9% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 16.2% | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 17.5% | +7.9% |
| 1991 | 17.8% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 17.9% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 17.8% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 18.1% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 18.1% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 19.3% | +6.6% |
| 1997 | 18.9% | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 19.5% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 20.0% | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 20.6% | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 21.2% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 22.5% | +6.0% |
| 2003 | 28.7% | +27.2% |
| 2004 | 29.0% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 23.4% | -19.5% |
| 2006 | 24.8% | +6.3% |
| 2007 | 25.4% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 26.3% | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 29.0% | +10.2% |
| 2010 | 30.4% | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 31.7% | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 32.5% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 32.8% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 35.8% | +9.0% |
| 2015 | 36.9% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 34.0% | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 36.4% | +7.0% |
| 2018 | 36.9% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 38.0% | +3.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +27.2% | 22.5% | 28.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.7% | 13.4% | 14.2% | 8 |
| 1980s | 15.3% | 14.5% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.5% | 17.5% | 20.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.1% | 20.6% | 29.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.6% | 30.4% | 38.0% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
More reference data data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 15,654 (2021)
- CPI Price, nominal 818.96 (2026)
- CPI Price, nominal, annual growth rate 5.73 % change on previous year (2026)
- CPI Price, nominal, seas. adj. 869.41 (2026)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 8.53 million number (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 4.15 million number (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 4.38 million number (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes 6.1 years (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, male 6.22 years (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, female 5.97 years (2019)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 38.0% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 38.0% in 2019.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 1972.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 27th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.