Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Pakistan
Pakistan: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 43.1% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Pakistan, 1981–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Pakistan stood at 43.1%. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of up 7.2% on the previous year and up 35.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Pakistan peaked at 43.1% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 11.6%, in 1981.
That places Pakistan 77th out of 88 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 11.6% | — |
| 1998 | 22.8% | +96.4% |
| 2005 | 27.3% | +19.8% |
| 2006 | 30.6% | +12.1% |
| 2007 | 29.9% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 30.1% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 30.3% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 31.0% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 31.9% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 32.7% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 31.7% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 33.8% | +6.5% |
| 2017 | 35.7% | +5.8% |
| 2018 | 39.0% | +9.2% |
| 2019 | 40.2% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 43.1% | +7.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 22.8% | 22.8% | 22.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 29.6% | 27.3% | 30.6% | 5 |
| 2010s | 34.5% | 31.0% | 40.2% | 8 |
| 2020s | 43.1% | 43.1% | 43.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 74 Democratic Republic of Congo 47.7% compare
- 75 Morocco 47.2% compare
- 76 Mozambique 46.0% compare
- 78 Ethiopia 37.2% compare
- 79 Côte d'Ivoire 33.2% compare
- 80 Senegal 32.9% compare
More education data for Pakistan
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.101 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 12.22 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Pakistan?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Pakistan was 43.1% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 43.1% in 2021.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.6% in 1981.
- How does Pakistan rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- Pakistan ranks 77th out of 88 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.1%. 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 Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release