Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female was 24.8% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
24.8%
Change on year
up 3.9%
Rank
35th
of 39 groups
All-time high
24.8%
in 2019
All-time low
4.7%
in 1974
Years of data
49
1971–2019

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

510152025197119952019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) is 24.8%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.9% on the previous year and up 47.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 24.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 1974.

That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 35th out of 39 groups with data for 2019, putting it 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 (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 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 4.9% +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% +28.1%
1984 6.9% -0.1%
1985 6.9% -0.1%
1986 6.8% -0.1%
1987 7.0% +1.8%
1988 7.1% +1.5%
1989 7.2% +1.4%
1990 8.0% +11.3%
1991 8.0% +0.5%
1992 8.1% +1.2%
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 10.1% +4.3%
2003 14.1% +39.2%
2004 14.2% +1.2%
2005 9.7% -31.7%
2006 12.0% +23.3%
2007 12.8% +6.9%
2008 13.5% +5.5%
2009 16.8% +24.2%
2010 17.5% +4.1%
2011 19.0% +9.0%
2012 21.3% +12.0%
2013 20.9% -1.8%
2014 23.1% +10.1%
2015 23.7% +2.9%
2016 21.7% -8.4%
2017 22.9% +5.6%
2018 23.8% +3.9%
2019 24.8% +3.9%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 +39.2% 10.1% 14.1%
2005 -31.7% 14.2% 9.7%
1983 +28.1% 5.4% 6.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.8% 4.7% 5.1% 9
1980s 6.4% 5.2% 7.2% 10
1990s 8.1% 7.7% 8.9% 10
2000s 12.2% 9.2% 16.8% 10
2010s 21.9% 17.5% 24.8% 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  1. 32 Sri Lanka 74.4% compare
  2. 33 Thailand 73.3% compare
  3. 34 Macau, China 72.1% compare
  4. 35 Türkiye 70.4% compare
  5. 36 Ecuador 69.7% compare
  6. 37 Peru 69.2% compare
  7. 38 Paraguay 68.4% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 24.8% 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 (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 24.8% in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 1974.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 35th 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 (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is up 47.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 (IDA & IBRD). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-female-percent/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-ida-and-ibrd/

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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.