Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in China (People’s Republic of)

China (People’s Republic of): Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female was 78.0% in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
78.0%
World rank
28th
of 82 countries
All-time high
78.0%
in 2018
All-time low
6.2%
in 1982
Years of data
5
1982–2018

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in China (People’s Republic of), 1982–2018

0204060801982200020181982: 6.2 %1990: 8.1 %2000: 42.3 %2010: 62.6 %2018: 78 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

China (People’s Republic of) recorded 78.0% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in 2018. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

The figure is up 24.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in China (People’s Republic of) peaked at 78.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 1982.

That places China (People’s Republic of) 28th out of 82 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 6.2% 6.2% 6.2% 1
1990s 8.1% 8.1% 8.1% 1
2000s 42.3% 42.3% 42.3% 1
2010s 70.3% 62.6% 78.0% 2

Countries ranked near China (People’s Republic of)

  1. 25 Viet Nam 80.3% compare
  2. 26 Singapore 78.9% compare
  3. 27 Dominican Republic 78.0% compare
  4. 29 Brazil 77.9% compare
  5. 30 Mexico 77.4% compare
  6. 31 Suriname 77.3% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for China (People’s Republic of)

All data for China (People’s Republic of) →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in China (People’s Republic of)?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in China (People’s Republic of) was 78.0% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
The highest recorded value was 78.0% in 2018.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 1982.
How does China (People’s Republic of) rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female?
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 28th out of 82 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female rising or falling in China (People’s Republic of)?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China (People’s Republic of) data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in China (People’s Republic of). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-female-percent/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
121 places, 2,197 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of females 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 female literates aged 65 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.