Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific

East Asia & Pacific: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female was 77.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
77.8%
Change on year
up 1.8%
Rank
14th
of 38 groups
All-time high
77.8%
in 2019
All-time low
17.6%
in 1980
Years of data
44
1976–2019

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific, 1976–2019

204060801976199720191976: 18 %1977: 18 %1978: 18.1 %1979: 17.9 %1980: 17.6 %1981: 18.4 %1982: 18.5 %1983: 18.7 %1984: 18.9 %1985: 19.1 %1986: 19.1 %1987: 20.9 %1988: 27.2 %1989: 27.4 %1990: 21.5 %1991: 27.9 %1992: 28.1 %1993: 28.9 %1994: 29.2 %1995: 29.6 %1996: 30.1 %1997: 46.1 %1998: 46.4 %1999: 46.1 %2000: 46.2 %2001: 46.4 %2002: 46.9 %2003: 47.7 %2004: 47.6 %2005: 48.2 %2006: 51.5 %2007: 59.6 %2008: 60 %2009: 62.9 %2010: 64.2 %2011: 65.2 %2012: 66.8 %2013: 67.5 %2014: 70.3 %2015: 71.4 %2016: 73 %2017: 74.6 %2018: 76.4 %2019: 77.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific is 77.8%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.

The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 23.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 77.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 17.6%, in 1980.

East Asia & Pacific ranks 14th of 38 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific, year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%) in East Asia & Pacific, 1976 to 2019.
Year % Change
1976 18.0%
1977 18.0% +0.3%
1978 18.1% +0.3%
1979 17.9% -1.3%
1980 17.6% -1.3%
1981 18.4% +4.3%
1982 18.5% +0.8%
1983 18.7% +0.8%
1984 18.9% +1.0%
1985 19.1% +1.1%
1986 19.1% +0.2%
1987 20.9% +9.2%
1988 27.2% +30.4%
1989 27.4% +0.7%
1990 21.5% -21.8%
1991 27.9% +29.9%
1992 28.1% +0.8%
1993 28.9% +2.7%
1994 29.2% +1.1%
1995 29.6% +1.5%
1996 30.1% +1.6%
1997 46.1% +53.3%
1998 46.4% +0.7%
1999 46.1% -0.6%
2000 46.2% +0.2%
2001 46.4% +0.4%
2002 46.9% +1.0%
2003 47.7% +1.7%
2004 47.6% -0.0%
2005 48.2% +1.1%
2006 51.5% +6.9%
2007 59.6% +15.8%
2008 60.0% +0.7%
2009 62.9% +4.8%
2010 64.2% +2.0%
2011 65.2% +1.7%
2012 66.8% +2.4%
2013 67.5% +1.0%
2014 70.3% +4.1%
2015 71.4% +1.5%
2016 73.0% +2.3%
2017 74.6% +2.2%
2018 76.4% +2.5%
2019 77.8% +1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 18.0% 17.9% 18.1% 4
1980s 20.6% 17.6% 27.4% 10
1990s 33.4% 21.5% 46.4% 10
2000s 51.7% 46.2% 62.9% 10
2010s 70.7% 64.2% 77.8% 10

Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific

  1. 11 Philippines 94.1% compare
  2. 12 Spain 93.7% compare
  3. 13 Greece 93.2% compare
  4. 14 Albania 91.8% compare
  5. 15 Namibia 91.4% compare
  6. 16 Chile 90.2% compare
  7. 17 Malta 89.7% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for East Asia & Pacific

All data for East Asia & Pacific →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in East Asia & Pacific was 77.8% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
The highest recorded value was 77.8% in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
The lowest recorded value was 17.6% in 1980.
How does East Asia & Pacific rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female?
East Asia & Pacific ranks 14th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this East Asia & Pacific 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 East Asia & Pacific. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-female-percent/east-asia-and-pacific/

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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.