Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in India

India: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female was 30.3% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
30.3%
World rank
59th
of 82 countries
All-time high
30.3%
in 2018
All-time low
7.8%
in 1981
Years of data
6
1981–2018

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in India, 1981–2018

10152025301981199920181981: 7.8 %1991: 12.5 %2001: 19.7 %2006: 18.3 %2011: 26.7 %2018: 30.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

India recorded 30.3% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in 2018. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

That represents a change of up 65.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in India peaked at 30.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 7.8%, in 1981.

That places India 59th out of 82 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 7.8% 7.8% 7.8% 1
1990s 12.5% 12.5% 12.5% 1
2000s 19.0% 18.3% 19.7% 2
2010s 28.5% 26.7% 30.3% 2

Countries ranked near India

  1. 56 Guatemala 40.7% compare
  2. 57 Sao Tome and Principe 40.3% compare
  3. 58 Cambodia 36.9% compare
  4. 60 Tanzania 29.7% compare
  5. 61 Uganda 26.3% compare
  6. 62 Cameroon 25.3% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in India?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in India was 30.3% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 30.3% in 2018.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 7.8% in 1981.
How does India rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female?
India ranks 59th out of 82 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 65.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India 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 India. 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/india/

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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.