Pakistan vs UIS: World: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes
Pakistan
58.9%
in 2021
UIS: World
87.7%
in 2024
Pakistan rank
79th
UIS: World rank
77th
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes over time
- Pakistan
- UIS: World
How they compare
UIS: World currently reports 87.7% against 58.9% in Pakistan, a difference of 28.8%.
That makes UIS: World's figure about 1.5 times Pakistan's.
Across all 16 years both countries report, UIS: World has been ahead every year.
Pakistan ranks 79th and UIS: World ranks 77th of 89 countries.
UIS: World has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Pakistan | UIS: World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 25.7% | 68.3% | 42.6% | UIS: World |
| 1990s | 42.7% | 80.5% | 37.8% | UIS: World |
| 2000s | 53.3% | 83.1% | 29.8% | UIS: World |
| 2010s | 56.7% | 85.6% | 28.9% | UIS: World |
| 2020s | 58.9% | 87.2% | 28.3% | UIS: World |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes, Pakistan or UIS: World?
- UIS: World, at 87.7% against 58.9% in Pakistan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes between Pakistan and UIS: World?
- 28.8%, with UIS: World ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Pakistan and UIS: World?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2021.
- How do Pakistan and UIS: World rank globally for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- Pakistan ranks 79th and UIS: World ranks 77th of 89 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release