Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female was 83.7% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
83.7%
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
10th
of 38 countries
All-time high
84.4%
in 2016
All-time low
75.7%
in 1981
Years of data
8
1981–2018

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

0204060801981199920181981: 75.7 %2001: 82.6 %2006: 82.3 %2008: 79.7 %2010: 78.6 %2016: 84.4 %2017: 82.1 %2018: 83.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka stood at 83.7%.

The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 5.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka peaked at 84.4% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 75.7%, in 1981.

That places Sri Lanka 10th out of 38 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female (%) in Sri Lanka, 1981 to 2018.
Year % Change
1981 75.7%
2001 82.6% +9.1%
2006 82.3% -0.4%
2008 79.7% -3.2%
2010 78.6% -1.4%
2016 84.4% +7.4%
2017 82.1% -2.8%
2018 83.7% +2.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 75.7% 75.7% 75.7% 1
2000s 81.6% 79.7% 82.6% 3
2010s 82.2% 78.6% 84.4% 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 7 Chile 92.0% compare
  2. 8 Colombia 86.9% compare
  3. 9 Mexico 83.7% compare
  4. 11 Ecuador 82.7% compare
  5. 12 Brazil 81.2% compare
  6. 13 Dominican Republic 80.1% compare

See the full ranking of 38 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka was 83.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 84.4% in 2016.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 75.7% in 1981.
How does Sri Lanka rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female?
Sri Lanka ranks 10th out of 38 countries with data for 2018.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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, urban, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-urban-female-percent/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, urban, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
38 places, 360 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of females age 65 and above in urban 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/