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

Spain: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 95.2% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
95.2%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
11th
of 83 countries
All-time high
95.2%
in 2018
All-time low
78.8%
in 1981
Years of data
16
1981–2018

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Spain, 1981–2018

0204060801001981199920181981: 78.8 %1991: 89.3 %2004: 90.5 %2005: 91.9 %2006: 92.3 %2007: 92.7 %2008: 92 %2009: 92.2 %2010: 92.6 %2011: 92.8 %2012: 93.3 %2013: 93.8 %2014: 94 %2015: 94.2 %2016: 94.7 %2018: 95.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Spain recorded 95.2% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in 2018. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Spain peaked at 95.2% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 78.8%, in 1981.

That places Spain 11th out of 83 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 78.8% 78.8% 78.8% 1
1990s 89.3% 89.3% 89.3% 1
2000s 91.9% 90.5% 92.7% 6
2010s 93.8% 92.6% 95.2% 8

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 8 Moldova, Republic of 97.1% compare
  2. 9 Montenegro 96.9% compare
  3. 10 Grenada 96.2% compare
  4. 12 Greece 95.2% compare
  5. 13 Philippines 94.3% compare
  6. 14 Albania 93.4% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Spain?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Spain was 95.2% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 95.2% in 2018.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 78.8% in 1981.
How does Spain rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
Spain ranks 11th out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Spain 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 Spain. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-both-sexes-percent/spain/

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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.