Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Pakistan
Pakistan: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 37.11 million in 2019. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Pakistan, 1998–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Pakistan is 37.11 million, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Pakistan peaked at 37.11 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 27.70 million, in 1998.
Pakistan ranks 2nd of 59 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 27.70 million | — |
| 2005 | 31.83 million | +14.9% |
| 2006 | 30.71 million | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 32.34 million | +5.3% |
| 2008 | 32.72 million | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 33.65 million | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 34.34 million | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 34.75 million | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 34.94 million | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 36.29 million | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 35.44 million | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 35.68 million | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 37.09 million | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 37.11 million | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 27.70 million | 27.70 million | 27.70 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 32.25 million | 30.71 million | 33.65 million | 5 |
| 2010s | 35.71 million | 34.34 million | 37.11 million | 8 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 1 India 128.19 million compare
- 3 Bangladesh 14.51 million compare
- 4 Egypt 11.63 million compare
- 5 Iran, Islamic Republic of 6.00 million compare
More education data for Pakistan
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Pakistan?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Pakistan was 37.11 million in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 37.11 million in 2019.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.70 million in 1998.
- How does Pakistan rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
- Pakistan ranks 2nd out of 59 countries with data for 2019.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. 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, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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