Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in Pakistan
Pakistan: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender was 0.82 GPIA in 2019. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in Pakistan, 1981–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in Pakistan is 0.82 GPIA, measured in 2019.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in Pakistan peaked at 0.83 GPIA in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.63 GPIA, in 1981.
Pakistan ranks 49th of 57 countries on this measure, 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, urban, adjusted gender in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.63 GPIA | — |
| 1998 | 0.72 GPIA | +14.3% |
| 2005 | 0.76 GPIA | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 0.76 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.78 GPIA | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 0.75 GPIA | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 0.78 GPIA | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 0.79 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 0.82 GPIA | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 0.8 GPIA | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 0.78 GPIA | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 0.81 GPIA | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 0.83 GPIA | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 0.8 GPIA | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 0.82 GPIA | +2.5% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 0.82 GPIA is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.905 GPIA, 91% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 0.82 GPIA is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.96 GPIA, 85% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.63 GPIA | 0.63 GPIA | 0.63 GPIA | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.72 GPIA | 0.72 GPIA | 0.72 GPIA | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.766 GPIA | 0.75 GPIA | 0.78 GPIA | 5 |
| 2010s | 0.8063 GPIA | 0.78 GPIA | 0.83 GPIA | 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, urban, adjusted gender in Pakistan?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in Pakistan was 0.82 GPIA in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.83 GPIA in 2017.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.63 GPIA in 1981.
- How does Pakistan rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender?
- Pakistan ranks 49th out of 57 countries with data for 2019.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. 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, urban, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release