Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Pakistan
Pakistan: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 48.5% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Pakistan, 1981–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Pakistan is 48.5%, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.4% on the previous year and up 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Pakistan peaked at 48.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 14.8%, in 1981.
Pakistan ranks 79th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 14.8% | — |
| 1998 | 29.0% | +96.6% |
| 2005 | 35.4% | +21.8% |
| 2006 | 39.6% | +12.0% |
| 2007 | 38.5% | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 40.1% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 40.3% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 41.0% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 42.0% | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 43.1% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 42.0% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 44.3% | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 46.5% | +4.9% |
| 2018 | 45.4% | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 46.5% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 48.5% | +4.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.8% | 14.8% | 14.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 29.0% | 29.0% | 29.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 38.8% | 35.4% | 40.3% | 5 |
| 2010s | 43.8% | 41.0% | 46.5% | 8 |
| 2020s | 48.5% | 48.5% | 48.5% | 1 |
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 literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Pakistan?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Pakistan was 48.5% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 48.5% in 2021.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.8% in 1981.
- How does Pakistan rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- Pakistan ranks 79th out of 89 countries with data for 2021.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.6%. 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 literacy rate, population 15+ years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release