This chart compares youth (aged 15-24) and elderly (aged 65+) literacy rates by region in 2016, illustrating approximately 50 years of generational literacy progress.
About: Youth vs Elderly Literacy Rate by Region (2016)
Overview of the data behind this chartAI Insight
The comparison between youth and elderly literacy rates serves as a proxy for five decades of progress. Southern Asia shows the most dramatic generational leap - 89% youth literacy versus just 42% among the elderly, a 47-point gap. Sub-Saharan Africa follows with a 39-point gap (75% vs 36%), and Northern Africa and Western Asia with 36 points (90% vs 54%). In contrast, Central Asia and Europe and Northern America show minimal differences, as literacy was already near-universal among older generations. Globally, the youth literacy rate of 91% is 13 percentage points above the elderly rate of 78%, reflecting meaningful, sustained progress in access to education worldwide.
Key Findings
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Youth vs Elderly Literacy Rate by Region (2016)
Data Insights
Numbers, trends & sources behind this chartCategory Rankings
Literacy Rate (%) · 2016| # | Category | 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Europe and Northern America - Youth | 100 |
| 🥈 | Central Asia - Youth | 100 |
| 🥉 | Eastern and South-Eastern Asia - Youth | 99 |
| 4 | Central Asia - Elderly | 99 |
| 5 | Latin America and the Caribbean - Youth | 98 |
| 6 | Europe and Northern America - Elderly | 98 |
| 7 | World - Youth | 91 |
| 8 | Northern Africa and Western Asia - Youth | 90 |
| 9 | Southern Asia - Youth | 89 |
| 10 | Eastern and South-Eastern Asia - Elderly | 84 |
| 11 | Latin America and the Caribbean - Elderly | 79 |
| 12 | World - Elderly | 78 |
| 13 | Sub-Saharan Africa - Youth | 75 |
| 14 | Northern Africa and Western Asia - Elderly | 54 |
| 15 | Southern Asia - Elderly | 42 |
| 16 | Sub-Saharan Africa - Elderly | 36 |
What This Data Shows
Auto-generated trend summaries per categoryFull Data Table
16 records across 1 yearData Sources & References
All external sources cited in this datasetRelated Charts
Global Literacy Rate by Age Group and Sex (2016) Related Chart
Youth Literacy Rate and 50-Year Progress by Region and Sex (2016) Related Chart
Adult Literacy Rate Progress by Region: 1990 vs 2016 Related Chart
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