Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan
WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 74.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, 1974–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan stood at 74.2%. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan peaked at 74.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 34.8%, in 1974.
WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan ranks 133rd of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 34.8% | — |
| 1975 | 35.0% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 35.2% | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 35.5% | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 35.9% | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 36.4% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 36.9% | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 37.4% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 38.3% | +2.3% |
| 1983 | 38.7% | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 39.3% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 40.0% | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 40.7% | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 41.4% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 42.3% | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 43.2% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 45.0% | +4.4% |
| 1991 | 45.8% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 47.4% | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 49.1% | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 49.9% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 51.1% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 52.0% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 53.0% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 54.1% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 55.1% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 56.0% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 57.2% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 58.3% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 61.0% | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 62.1% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 63.0% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 62.5% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 63.5% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 65.3% | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 66.6% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 67.3% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 67.7% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 69.0% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 69.5% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 69.9% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 70.9% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 70.7% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 71.1% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 71.6% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 71.7% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 72.2% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 72.6% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 73.2% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 73.7% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 74.2% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35.5% | 34.8% | 36.4% | 6 |
| 1980s | 39.8% | 36.9% | 43.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 50.2% | 45.0% | 55.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 61.6% | 56.0% | 66.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.9% | 67.3% | 71.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.2% | 72.2% | 74.2% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 4.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 35.93 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 5.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 32.16 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.28 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 3.29 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 43.62 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.72 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan was 74.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 74.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.8% in 1974.
- How does WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan ranks 133rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release