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

India: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male was 61.7% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
61.7%
World rank
57th
of 83 countries
All-time high
61.7%
in 2018
All-time low
34.6%
in 1981
Years of data
6
1981–2018

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

02040601981199920181981: 34.6 %1991: 41.2 %2001: 52 %2006: 51.5 %2011: 57.2 %2018: 61.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in India is 61.7%, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

The figure is up 19.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in India peaked at 61.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 34.6%, in 1981.

That places India 57th out of 83 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 34.6% 34.6% 34.6% 1
1990s 41.2% 41.2% 41.2% 1
2000s 51.8% 51.5% 52.0% 2
2010s 59.4% 57.2% 61.7% 2

Countries ranked near India

  1. 54 Honduras 65.2% compare
  2. 55 Eswatini, Kingdom of 62.4% compare
  3. 56 Malawi 62.2% compare
  4. 58 Guatemala 60.9% compare
  5. 59 South Africa 59.9% compare
  6. 60 Cameroon 59.7% 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, male in India?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in India was 61.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 61.7% in 2018.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 34.6% in 1981.
How does India rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male?
India ranks 57th out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in India. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-male-percent/india/

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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.