Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)

East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income): Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female was 78.5% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
78.5%
Change on year
up 1.8%
Rank
11th
of 39 groups
All-time high
78.5%
in 2019
All-time low
12.1%
in 1980
Years of data
44
1976–2019

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), 1976–2019

204060801976199720191976: 12.5 %1977: 12.6 %1978: 12.6 %1979: 12.3 %1980: 12.1 %1981: 12.8 %1982: 13 %1983: 13.1 %1984: 13.2 %1985: 13.4 %1986: 13.4 %1987: 15.1 %1988: 22.8 %1989: 22.9 %1990: 15.6 %1991: 23.2 %1992: 23.4 %1993: 23.9 %1994: 24.2 %1995: 24.5 %1996: 24.9 %1997: 44.7 %1998: 44.9 %1999: 44.6 %2000: 44.6 %2001: 44.8 %2002: 45.2 %2003: 45.8 %2004: 45.7 %2005: 46.1 %2006: 49.7 %2007: 59.5 %2008: 59.9 %2009: 62.9 %2010: 64.3 %2011: 65.8 %2012: 67.5 %2013: 68.3 %2014: 71 %2015: 72 %2016: 73.6 %2017: 75.2 %2018: 77.1 %2019: 78.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) stood at 78.5%. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.

The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 24.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) peaked at 78.5% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 12.1%, in 1980.

East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 11th of 39 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), 1976 to 2019.
Year % Change
1976 12.5%
1977 12.6% +0.3%
1978 12.6% +0.3%
1979 12.3% -2.1%
1980 12.1% -2.3%
1981 12.8% +6.3%
1982 13.0% +1.0%
1983 13.1% +1.0%
1984 13.2% +1.1%
1985 13.4% +1.2%
1986 13.4% -0.1%
1987 15.1% +12.5%
1988 22.8% +51.5%
1989 22.9% +0.5%
1990 15.6% -32.0%
1991 23.2% +48.8%
1992 23.4% +0.7%
1993 23.9% +2.5%
1994 24.2% +0.9%
1995 24.5% +1.3%
1996 24.9% +1.8%
1997 44.7% +79.3%
1998 44.9% +0.5%
1999 44.6% -0.8%
2000 44.6% +0.1%
2001 44.8% +0.5%
2002 45.2% +0.8%
2003 45.8% +1.3%
2004 45.7% -0.2%
2005 46.1% +0.8%
2006 49.7% +7.9%
2007 59.5% +19.7%
2008 59.9% +0.5%
2009 62.9% +5.1%
2010 64.3% +2.1%
2011 65.8% +2.3%
2012 67.5% +2.6%
2013 68.3% +1.2%
2014 71.0% +4.0%
2015 72.0% +1.4%
2016 73.6% +2.2%
2017 75.2% +2.2%
2018 77.1% +2.5%
2019 78.5% +1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 12.5% 12.3% 12.6% 4
1980s 15.2% 12.1% 22.9% 10
1990s 29.4% 15.6% 44.9% 10
2000s 50.4% 44.6% 62.9% 10
2010s 71.3% 64.3% 78.5% 10

Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)

  1. 8 Republic of Moldova 96.1% compare
  2. 9 Grenada 96.0% compare
  3. 10 Montenegro 95.0% compare
  4. 11 Philippines 94.1% compare
  5. 12 Spain 93.7% compare
  6. 13 Greece 93.2% compare
  7. 14 Albania 91.8% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)

All data for East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) was 78.5% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 78.5% in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 12.1% in 1980.
How does East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female?
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 11th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 44 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, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-female-percent/east-asia-and-pacific-excluding-high-income/

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-female-percent/east-asia-and-pacific-excluding-high-income/">Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)</a> — Statizoid

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.