Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Pakistan
Pakistan: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 59.25 million in 2019. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Pakistan, 1998–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 59.25 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2019. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Pakistan peaked at 59.25 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 46.42 million, in 1998.
That places Pakistan 2nd out of 59 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 46.42 million | — |
| 2005 | 50.54 million | +8.9% |
| 2006 | 48.07 million | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 51.71 million | +7.6% |
| 2008 | 50.59 million | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 52.21 million | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 53.30 million | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 55.43 million | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 54.27 million | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 56.77 million | +4.6% |
| 2014 | 55.96 million | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 55.72 million | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 58.80 million | +5.5% |
| 2019 | 59.25 million | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 46.42 million | 46.42 million | 46.42 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 50.62 million | 48.07 million | 52.21 million | 5 |
| 2010s | 56.19 million | 53.30 million | 59.25 million | 8 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More education data for Pakistan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 440,233 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 5.05 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.90 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 19.70 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.38 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.101 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Pakistan?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Pakistan was 59.25 million in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 59.25 million in 2019.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.42 million in 1998.
- How does Pakistan rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- Pakistan ranks 2nd out of 59 countries with data for 2019.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release