Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male was 85.1% in 2018. ▬ Flat

Latest (2018)
85.1%
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
34th
of 83 countries
All-time high
86.8%
in 2016
All-time low
82.2%
in 1981
Years of data
8
1981–2018

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

0204060801981199920181981: 82.2 %2001: 86.2 %2006: 83.3 %2008: 83.2 %2010: 85.2 %2016: 86.8 %2017: 86.4 %2018: 85.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Sri Lanka stood at 85.1%.

That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Sri Lanka peaked at 86.8% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 82.2%, in 1981.

Sri Lanka ranks 34th of 83 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) in Sri Lanka, 1981 to 2018.
Year % Change
1981 82.2%
2001 86.2% +4.8%
2006 83.3% -3.4%
2008 83.2% -0.0%
2010 85.2% +2.4%
2016 86.8% +1.9%
2017 86.4% -0.4%
2018 85.1% -1.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 82.2% 82.2% 82.2% 1
2000s 84.2% 83.2% 86.2% 3
2010s 85.9% 85.1% 86.8% 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 31 Malaysia 85.7% compare
  2. 32 Thailand 85.4% compare
  3. 33 Bahrain 85.1% compare
  4. 35 Panama 85.0% compare
  5. 36 Indonesia 84.6% compare
  6. 37 Mexico 84.5% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Sri Lanka?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Sri Lanka was 85.1% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 86.8% in 2016.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 82.2% in 1981.
How does Sri Lanka rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male?
Sri Lanka ranks 34th out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-male-percent/sri-lanka/

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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.