Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female was 17.3% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
17.3%
Change on year
down 10.6%
World rank
27th
of 35 countries
All-time high
19.6%
in 2017
All-time low
3.3%
in 1981
Years of data
12
1981–2019

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female in Bangladesh, 1981–2019

51015201981200020191981: 3.3 %1991: 5.6 %2001: 13.3 %2011: 14.7 %2012: 9.7 %2013: 12.8 %2014: 17.2 %2015: 12.9 %2016: 17 %2017: 19.6 %2018: 19.3 %2019: 17.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female in Bangladesh stood at 17.3%.

The figure is down 10.6% on the previous year and up 17.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female in Bangladesh peaked at 19.6% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 1981.

Bangladesh ranks 27th of 35 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female in Bangladesh, year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female (%) in Bangladesh, 1981 to 2019.
Year % Change
1981 3.3%
1991 5.6% +71.5%
2001 13.3% +135.8%
2011 14.7% +10.4%
2012 9.7% -33.8%
2013 12.8% +32.2%
2014 17.2% +34.3%
2015 12.9% -25.5%
2016 17.0% +32.3%
2017 19.6% +15.3%
2018 19.3% -1.4%
2019 17.3% -10.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 3.3% 3.3% 3.3% 1
1990s 5.6% 5.6% 5.6% 1
2000s 13.3% 13.3% 13.3% 1
2010s 15.6% 9.7% 19.6% 9

Countries ranked near Bangladesh

  1. 24 Bolivia 31.6% compare
  2. 25 South Africa 22.4% compare
  3. 26 Guatemala 18.8% compare
  4. 28 Uganda 15.2% compare
  5. 29 Egypt 7.2% compare
  6. 30 Iran 4.5% compare

See the full ranking of 35 places →

More reference data data for Bangladesh

All data for Bangladesh →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female in Bangladesh?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female in Bangladesh was 17.3% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female recorded in Bangladesh?
The highest recorded value was 19.6% in 2017.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female recorded in Bangladesh?
The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 1981.
How does Bangladesh rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female?
Bangladesh ranks 27th out of 35 countries with data for 2019.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female rising or falling in Bangladesh?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female in Bangladesh. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-rural-female-percent/bangladesh/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
35 places, 325 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of females age 65 and above in rural areas 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 female literates aged 65 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/