Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female was 25.2% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
25.2%
Change on year
up 4.7%
Rank
33rd
of 39 groups
All-time high
25.2%
in 2019
All-time low
4.7%
in 1975
Years of data
49
1971–2019

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1971–2019

510152025197119952019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 25.2%. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 48.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 25.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 1975.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 33rd of 39 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1971 to 2019.
Year % Change
1971 4.7%
1972 4.7% -0.1%
1973 4.7% -0.0%
1974 4.7% -0.0%
1975 4.7% -0.0%
1976 4.7% +0.3%
1977 4.8% +3.1%
1978 5.0% +2.8%
1979 5.1% +2.5%
1980 5.2% +2.3%
1981 5.3% +1.7%
1982 5.4% +1.5%
1983 6.9% +27.8%
1984 6.9% -0.1%
1985 6.9% -0.1%
1986 6.9% -0.1%
1987 7.0% +1.8%
1988 7.1% +1.5%
1989 7.2% +1.4%
1990 8.0% +11.2%
1991 8.0% +0.5%
1992 8.1% +1.1%
1993 7.7% -5.2%
1994 7.8% +1.8%
1995 7.7% -2.0%
1996 7.9% +3.2%
1997 8.2% +3.0%
1998 8.6% +5.1%
1999 8.9% +3.8%
2000 9.2% +3.4%
2001 9.7% +5.1%
2002 10.4% +7.1%
2003 14.3% +37.9%
2004 14.3% -0.0%
2005 10.0% -30.1%
2006 12.1% +20.5%
2007 12.9% +7.1%
2008 13.6% +5.5%
2009 17.0% +24.4%
2010 17.6% +3.7%
2011 19.2% +8.9%
2012 21.5% +12.0%
2013 21.1% -1.7%
2014 23.2% +10.0%
2015 23.9% +2.9%
2016 21.9% -8.2%
2017 23.4% +6.6%
2018 24.1% +3.0%
2019 25.2% +4.7%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2003 +37.9% 10.4% 14.3%
2005 -30.1% 14.3% 10.0%
1983 +27.8% 5.4% 6.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.8% 4.7% 5.1% 9
1980s 6.5% 5.2% 7.2% 10
1990s 8.1% 7.7% 8.9% 10
2000s 12.3% 9.2% 17.0% 10
2010s 22.1% 17.6% 25.2% 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

  1. 30 Mexico 77.4% compare
  2. 31 Suriname 77.3% compare
  3. 32 Sri Lanka 74.4% compare
  4. 33 Thailand 73.3% compare
  5. 34 Macao 72.1% compare
  6. 35 Turkey 70.4% compare
  7. 36 Ecuador 69.7% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 25.2% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 25.2% in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 1975.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 33rd out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is up 48.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (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.

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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-female-percent/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-excluding-high-income/

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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.