Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Pakistan
Pakistan: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 48.5% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Pakistan, 1981–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Pakistan stood at 48.5%.
The figure is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Pakistan peaked at 48.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 16.8%, in 1981.
That places Pakistan 46th out of 53 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 16.8% | — |
| 1998 | 31.6% | +87.9% |
| 2005 | 39.7% | +25.6% |
| 2006 | 43.7% | +10.2% |
| 2007 | 41.5% | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 46.3% | +11.5% |
| 2009 | 44.0% | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 44.8% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 43.4% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 46.2% | +6.4% |
| 2013 | 44.6% | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 45.6% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 48.5% | +6.5% |
| 2018 | 47.3% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 48.5% | +2.6% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 48.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 69.1%, 70% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 48.5% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 76.7%, 63% of the median. (9 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Pakistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +87.9% | 16.8% | 31.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16.8% | 16.8% | 16.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 31.6% | 31.6% | 31.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 43.0% | 39.7% | 46.3% | 5 |
| 2010s | 46.1% | 43.4% | 48.5% | 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 literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Pakistan?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Pakistan was 48.5% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 48.5% in 2017.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.8% in 1981.
- How does Pakistan rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- Pakistan ranks 46th out of 53 countries with data for 2019.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.2%. 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, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release