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

Singapore: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female was 78.9% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
78.9%
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
26th
of 82 countries
All-time high
78.9%
in 2018
All-time low
15.8%
in 1980
Years of data
12
1980–2018

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Singapore, 1980–2018

204060801980199920181980: 15.8 %1990: 28.5 %2000: 41.2 %2010: 63.7 %2011: 67.9 %2012: 69.7 %2013: 71.4 %2014: 73.1 %2015: 75.5 %2016: 76.2 %2017: 77.6 %2018: 78.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Singapore recorded 78.9% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in 2018. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 23.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Singapore peaked at 78.9% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 15.8%, in 1980.

Singapore ranks 26th of 82 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Singapore, year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%) in Singapore, 1980 to 2018.
Year % Change
1980 15.8%
1990 28.5% +80.4%
2000 41.2% +44.6%
2010 63.7% +54.7%
2011 67.9% +6.7%
2012 69.7% +2.6%
2013 71.4% +2.5%
2014 73.1% +2.4%
2015 75.5% +3.3%
2016 76.2% +0.9%
2017 77.6% +1.8%
2018 78.9% +1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 15.8% 15.8% 15.8% 1
1990s 28.5% 28.5% 28.5% 1
2000s 41.2% 41.2% 41.2% 1
2010s 72.7% 63.7% 78.9% 9

Countries ranked near Singapore

  1. 23 Colombia 83.2% compare
  2. 24 Seychelles 81.0% compare
  3. 25 Viet Nam 80.3% compare
  4. 27 Dominican Republic 78.0% compare
  5. 28 China 78.0% compare
  6. 29 Brazil 77.9% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for Singapore

All data for Singapore →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Singapore?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female in Singapore was 78.9% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in Singapore?
The highest recorded value was 78.9% in 2018.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female recorded in Singapore?
The lowest recorded value was 15.8% in 1980.
How does Singapore rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female?
Singapore ranks 26th out of 82 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female rising or falling in Singapore?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Singapore 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 Singapore. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-female-percent/singapore/

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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.