Literacy rate, adult male in Pakistan
Pakistan: Literacy rate, adult male was 69.1% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult male in Pakistan, 1981–2021
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15 and above.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, adult male in Pakistan is 69.1%, measured in 2021.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult male in Pakistan peaked at 71.1% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 35.4%, in 1981.
Pakistan ranks 78th of 88 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult male in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of males ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 35.4% | — |
| 1998 | 55.3% | +56.3% |
| 2005 | 64.1% | +15.8% |
| 2006 | 67.7% | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 65.0% | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 68.9% | +6.0% |
| 2009 | 68.6% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 68.9% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 67.0% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 69.9% | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 68.6% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 69.1% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 71.1% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 69.3% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 69.3% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 69.1% | -0.2% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 69.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 83.7%, 83% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 69.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 96.6%, 72% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Literacy rate, adult male 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 | +56.3% | 35.4% | 55.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 35.4% | 35.4% | 35.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 55.3% | 55.3% | 55.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 66.8% | 64.1% | 68.9% | 5 |
| 2010s | 69.1% | 67.0% | 71.1% | 8 |
| 2020s | 69.1% | 69.1% | 69.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 75 Mozambique 74.0% compare
- 76 East Timor 73.1% compare
- 77 Ethiopia 71.0% compare
- 79 Cote d'Ivoire 68.0% compare
- 80 Benin 62.6% compare
- 81 Senegal 61.5% compare
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 literacy rate, adult male in Pakistan?
- Literacy rate, adult male in Pakistan was 69.1% in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 71.1% in 2017.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.4% in 1981.
- How does Pakistan rank for literacy rate, adult male?
- Pakistan ranks 78th out of 88 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rate, adult male rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.