Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Low & middle income

Low & middle income: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male was 79.0% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
79.0%
Change on year
up 1.0%
Rank
15th
of 37 groups
All-time high
79.0%
in 2019
All-time low
48.9%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1975–2019

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Low & middle income, 1975–2019

0204060801975199720191975: 49.4 %1976: 49.4 %1977: 49.5 %1978: 49.5 %1979: 49.3 %1980: 48.9 %1981: 49.2 %1982: 49.2 %1983: 49 %1984: 48.9 %1985: 48.9 %1986: 49 %1987: 49.8 %1988: 56 %1989: 56.3 %1990: 51.3 %1991: 56.7 %1992: 57 %1993: 57.3 %1994: 57.5 %1995: 57.6 %1996: 58 %1997: 64 %1998: 66 %1999: 66.2 %2000: 66.2 %2001: 66.4 %2002: 66.6 %2003: 67.5 %2004: 67.6 %2005: 67.3 %2006: 68.6 %2007: 70.6 %2008: 70.9 %2009: 71.8 %2010: 72.9 %2011: 73.4 %2012: 74 %2013: 74.3 %2014: 75 %2015: 75.9 %2016: 76.7 %2017: 77.4 %2018: 78.2 %2019: 79 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Low & middle income stood at 79.0%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 10.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Low & middle income peaked at 79.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 48.9%, in 1980.

That places Low & middle income 15th out of 37 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Low & middle income, year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) in Low & middle income, 1975 to 2019.
Year % Change
1975 49.4%
1976 49.4% +0.0%
1977 49.5% +0.1%
1978 49.5% +0.1%
1979 49.3% -0.4%
1980 48.9% -0.9%
1981 49.2% +0.7%
1982 49.2% -0.1%
1983 49.0% -0.4%
1984 48.9% -0.1%
1985 48.9% -0.1%
1986 49.0% +0.1%
1987 49.8% +1.7%
1988 56.0% +12.5%
1989 56.3% +0.5%
1990 51.3% -8.9%
1991 56.7% +10.5%
1992 57.0% +0.6%
1993 57.3% +0.6%
1994 57.5% +0.2%
1995 57.6% +0.3%
1996 58.0% +0.6%
1997 64.0% +10.3%
1998 66.0% +3.3%
1999 66.2% +0.2%
2000 66.2% +0.1%
2001 66.4% +0.2%
2002 66.6% +0.4%
2003 67.5% +1.2%
2004 67.6% +0.2%
2005 67.3% -0.4%
2006 68.6% +1.9%
2007 70.6% +3.0%
2008 70.9% +0.4%
2009 71.8% +1.2%
2010 72.9% +1.5%
2011 73.4% +0.8%
2012 74.0% +0.8%
2013 74.3% +0.4%
2014 75.0% +0.9%
2015 75.9% +1.2%
2016 76.7% +1.1%
2017 77.4% +0.8%
2018 78.2% +1.1%
2019 79.0% +1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 49.4% 49.3% 49.5% 5
1980s 50.5% 48.9% 56.3% 10
1990s 59.2% 51.3% 66.2% 10
2000s 68.3% 66.2% 71.8% 10
2010s 75.7% 72.9% 79.0% 10

Countries ranked near Low & middle income

  1. 12 Grenada 96.6% compare
  2. 13 Jordan 96.5% compare
  3. 14 Singapore 95.5% compare
  4. 15 Albania 95.0% compare
  5. 16 Philippines 94.6% compare
  6. 17 Viet Nam 94.5% compare
  7. 18 Türkiye 93.2% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for Low & middle income

All data for Low & middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Low & middle income?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Low & middle income was 79.0% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in Low & middle income?
The highest recorded value was 79.0% in 2019.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in Low & middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 48.9% in 1980.
How does Low & middle income rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male?
Low & middle income ranks 15th out of 37 groups with data for 2019.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male rising or falling in Low & middle income?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Low & middle income 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 Low & middle income. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-male-percent/low-and-middle-income/

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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.