Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Pakistan
Pakistan: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes was 69.1% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Pakistan, 1981–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Pakistan is 69.1%, measured in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Pakistan peaked at 70.6% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 41.8%, in 1981.
That places Pakistan 52nd out of 57 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 41.8% | — |
| 1998 | 59.2% | +41.8% |
| 2005 | 64.0% | +8.0% |
| 2006 | 66.7% | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 66.0% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 65.8% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 67.2% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 67.2% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 67.3% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 67.9% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 67.4% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 69.7% | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 70.6% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 69.1% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 69.1% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 41.8% | 41.8% | 41.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 59.2% | 59.2% | 59.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 65.9% | 64.0% | 67.2% | 5 |
| 2010s | 68.5% | 67.2% | 70.6% | 8 |
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 literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Pakistan?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Pakistan was 69.1% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 70.6% in 2017.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.8% in 1981.
- How does Pakistan rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes?
- Pakistan ranks 52nd out of 57 countries with data for 2019.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. 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, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release