Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Pakistan
Pakistan: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population was 40.3% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Pakistan, 1972–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Pakistan is 40.3%, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 9.0% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Pakistan peaked at 40.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 7.2%, in 1972.
Pakistan ranks 127th of 136 countries on this measure, 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 | 7.2% | — |
| 1981 | 9.7% | +34.3% |
| 2005 | 19.7% | +103.4% |
| 2006 | 32.6% | +65.5% |
| 2007 | 27.2% | -16.5% |
| 2008 | 31.8% | +16.9% |
| 2009 | 31.0% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 31.9% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 35.8% | +12.2% |
| 2012 | 35.8% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 36.5% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 37.5% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 36.0% | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 34.9% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 40.4% | +15.7% |
| 2019 | 37.0% | -8.5% |
| 2021 | 40.3% | +9.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.2% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 1 |
| 1980s | 9.7% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 28.4% | 19.7% | 32.6% | 5 |
| 2010s | 36.2% | 31.9% | 40.4% | 9 |
| 2020s | 40.3% | 40.3% | 40.3% | 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 40.3% 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 40.4% in 2017.
- What is the lowest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.2% 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 12.7%. 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, female (%). 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