Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Pakistan
Pakistan: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population was 51.8% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Pakistan, 1972–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 51.8% for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in 2021.
The figure is up 4.5% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Pakistan peaked at 52.6% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 18.7%, in 1972.
That places Pakistan 127th out of 136 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 18.7% | — |
| 1981 | 20.9% | +12.0% |
| 2005 | 34.7% | +65.9% |
| 2006 | 49.0% | +40.9% |
| 2007 | 42.9% | -12.5% |
| 2008 | 48.6% | +13.5% |
| 2009 | 47.5% | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 48.6% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 50.4% | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 50.5% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 50.8% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 51.4% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 49.8% | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 48.6% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 52.6% | +8.1% |
| 2019 | 49.5% | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 51.8% | +4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.7% | 18.7% | 18.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 20.9% | 20.9% | 20.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 44.6% | 34.7% | 49.0% | 5 |
| 2010s | 50.3% | 48.6% | 52.6% | 9 |
| 2020s | 51.8% | 51.8% | 51.8% | 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 educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Pakistan?
- Educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Pakistan was 51.8% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 52.6% in 2017.
- What is the lowest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.7% in 1972.
- How does Pakistan rank for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population?
- Pakistan ranks 127th out of 136 countries with data for 2021.
- Is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. 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 Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release