Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in China (People’s Republic of)

China (People’s Republic of): Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male was 92.8% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
92.8%
World rank
19th
of 83 countries
All-time high
92.8%
in 2018
All-time low
43.5%
in 1982
Years of data
5
1982–2018

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in China (People’s Republic of), 1982–2018

0204060801001982200020181982: 43.5 %1990: 45.1 %2000: 76 %2010: 86.1 %2018: 92.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

China (People’s Republic of) recorded 92.8% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in 2018. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in China (People’s Republic of) peaked at 92.8% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 43.5%, in 1982.

China (People’s Republic of) ranks 19th of 83 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 43.5% 43.5% 43.5% 1
1990s 45.1% 45.1% 45.1% 1
2000s 76.0% 76.0% 76.0% 1
2010s 89.4% 86.1% 92.8% 2

Countries ranked near China (People’s Republic of)

  1. 16 Philippines 94.6% compare
  2. 17 Viet Nam 94.5% compare
  3. 18 Türkiye 93.2% compare
  4. 20 Portugal 92.7% compare
  5. 21 Palestinian Authority or West Bank and Gaza Strip 91.5% compare
  6. 22 Macau (China) 91.3% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for China (People’s Republic of)

All data for China (People’s Republic of) →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in China (People’s Republic of)?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in China (People’s Republic of) was 92.8% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
The highest recorded value was 92.8% in 2018.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
The lowest recorded value was 43.5% in 1982.
How does China (People’s Republic of) rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male?
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 19th out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male rising or falling in China (People’s Republic of)?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China (People’s Republic of) data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in China (People’s Republic of). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-male-percent/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
121 places, 2,187 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of males 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 male literates aged 65 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.