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

Sri Lanka: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male was 83.5% in 2018. ▬ Flat

Latest (2018)
83.5%
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
9th
of 35 countries
All-time high
85.6%
in 2016
All-time low
80.4%
in 1981
Years of data
8
1981–2018

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

0204060801981199920181981: 80.4 %2001: 85.4 %2006: 82.3 %2008: 82.4 %2010: 84.1 %2016: 85.6 %2017: 85.1 %2018: 83.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in Sri Lanka stood at 83.5%.

The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in Sri Lanka peaked at 85.6% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 80.4%, in 1981.

That places Sri Lanka 9th out of 35 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male (%) in Sri Lanka, 1981 to 2018.
Year % Change
1981 80.4%
2001 85.4% +6.2%
2006 82.3% -3.6%
2008 82.4% +0.0%
2010 84.1% +2.1%
2016 85.6% +1.7%
2017 85.1% -0.6%
2018 83.5% -1.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 80.4% 80.4% 80.4% 1
2000s 83.4% 82.3% 85.4% 3
2010s 84.6% 83.5% 85.6% 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 6 Palestine, State of 91.0% compare
  2. 7 Türkiye 88.9% compare
  3. 8 Kuwait 86.8% compare
  4. 10 Thailand 82.5% compare
  5. 11 Indonesia 78.9% compare
  6. 12 Chile 77.7% compare

See the full ranking of 35 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in Sri Lanka?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in Sri Lanka was 83.5% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 85.6% in 2016.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 80.4% in 1981.
How does Sri Lanka rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male?
Sri Lanka ranks 9th out of 35 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. 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, rural, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-rural-male-percent/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male (%)
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 males 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 male 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/