Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Pakistan

Pakistan: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 81.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
81.1%
Change on year
up 19.0%
World rank
160th
of 190 countries
All-time high
81.1%
in 2024
All-time low
0.0%
in 1820
Years of data
37
1820–2024

Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Pakistan, 1820–2024

0204060801820192220241820: 0 %1825: 0 %1830: 0 %1835: 0 %1840: 0 %1845: 0 %1850: 0.01 %1855: 0.01 %1860: 0.01 %1865: 0.01 %1870: 0.02 %1875: 0.02 %1880: 0.03 %1885: 0.04 %1890: 0.05 %1895: 0.06 %1900: 0.08 %1905: 0.11 %1910: 0.14 %1915: 0.18 %1920: 0.24 %1925: 0.31 %1930: 0.4 %1935: 0.52 %1940: 0.67 %1945: 0.87 %1950: 1.1 %1955: 5.1 %1960: 9 %1965: 17 %1970: 17 %1975: 21.6 %1980: 20.1 %2021: 65.1 %2022: 66.6 %2023: 68.2 %2024: 81.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Pakistan stood at 81.1%. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 19.0% on the previous year and up 24.6% over five years.

Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Pakistan peaked at 81.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.

That places Pakistan 160th out of 190 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1820s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2
1830s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2
1840s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2
1850s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2
1860s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2
1870s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2
1880s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2
1890s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 2
1900s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 2
1910s 0.2% 0.1% 0.2% 2
1920s 0.3% 0.2% 0.3% 2
1930s 0.5% 0.4% 0.5% 2
1940s 0.8% 0.7% 0.9% 2
1950s 3.1% 1.1% 5.1% 2
1960s 13.0% 9.0% 17.0% 2
1970s 19.3% 17.0% 21.6% 2
1980s 20.1% 20.1% 20.1% 1
2020s 70.2% 65.1% 81.1% 4

Countries ranked near Pakistan

  1. 157 Congo 83.1% compare
  2. 158 Barbados 82.6% compare
  3. 159 Guyana 81.5% compare
  4. 161 Comoros 79.5% compare
  5. 162 Guinea 78.9% compare
  6. 163 Syria 78.6% compare

See the full ranking of 190 places →

More education data for Pakistan

All data for Pakistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Pakistan?
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Pakistan was 81.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Pakistan?
The highest recorded value was 81.1% in 2024.
What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Pakistan?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
How does Pakistan rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
Pakistan ranks 160th out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
Where does this Pakistan data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
190 places, 7,246 data points, 1820–2025
Last refreshed

The share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.