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

Malaysia: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male was 85.7% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
85.7%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
31st
of 83 countries
All-time high
86.1%
in 2017
All-time low
38.4%
in 1980
Years of data
7
1980–2018

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Malaysia, 1980–2018

0204060801980199920181980: 38.4 %1991: 51.6 %2000: 60.2 %2010: 74.8 %2016: 84.2 %2017: 86.1 %2018: 85.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 85.7% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 14.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Malaysia peaked at 86.1% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 38.4%, in 1980.

That places Malaysia 31st out of 83 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 38.4% 38.4% 38.4% 1
1990s 51.6% 51.6% 51.6% 1
2000s 60.2% 60.2% 60.2% 1
2010s 82.7% 74.8% 86.1% 4

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 28 Kuwait 88.8% compare
  2. 29 Malta 86.4% compare
  3. 30 Suriname 86.2% compare
  4. 32 Thailand 85.4% compare
  5. 33 Bahrain 85.1% compare
  6. 34 Sri Lanka 85.1% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Malaysia?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Malaysia was 85.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 86.1% in 2017.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 38.4% in 1980.
How does Malaysia rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male?
Malaysia ranks 31st out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia 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 Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-male-percent/malaysia/

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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.