Literacy Rates Among the Elderly Have Steadily Increased Over the Past Five Years

Reading and writing skills are fundamental literacy skills that every individual needs to master. Based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the literacy rate (AMH) of the elderly population in Indonesia has steadily increased over the past five years.

The literacy rate of the elderly population in Indonesia was recorded at 78.19% in 2017. This figure continued to increase to 81.72% in 2021, with an average annual increase of 1.1%.

Based on gender, the literacy rate for elderly men was 88.49% in 2021. This is higher than the literacy rate for elderly women, which was 75.55%. One of the factors contributing to the lower literacy rate among elderly women compared to men is cultural factors and limitations women faced in accessing education in the past, impacting the elderly population today.

Considering the area of residence, the literacy rate among the elderly in urban areas was 87.85% in 2021, higher than the literacy rate among the elderly in rural areas, which was 74.67%. Limited access to various educational facilities in rural areas in the past is one of the factors contributing to the lower literacy rate among the elderly in rural areas.

The province with the highest literacy rate among the elderly is North Sulawesi at 99.52%, while the lowest is West Nusa Tenggara at 53.13%. Of the 34 provinces in Indonesia, 23 provinces have an elderly literacy rate above the national average, while the remaining 12 provinces have an elderly literacy rate below the national average.

The elderly literacy rate is the proportion of the elderly population who can read and write Latin or other alphabets. It illustrates the percentage of the elderly population who can read and write Latin or other alphabets.