Literacy rates among adults in Pakistan
Pakistan: Literacy rates among adults was 58.9% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Pakistan, 1981–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rates among adults in Pakistan is 58.9%, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Pakistan peaked at 59.1% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 25.7%, in 1981.
Pakistan ranks 79th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Literacy rates among adults in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 25.7% | — |
| 1998 | 42.7% | +66.0% |
| 2005 | 49.9% | +16.8% |
| 2006 | 54.1% | +8.6% |
| 2007 | 52.1% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 55.5% | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 54.9% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 55.4% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 54.7% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 56.8% | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 55.6% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 57.0% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 59.1% | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 57.0% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 58.0% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 58.9% | +1.5% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 58.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.2%, 75% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 58.9% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 94.4%, 62% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Literacy rates among adults 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 | +66.0% | 25.7% | 42.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 25.7% | 25.7% | 25.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 42.7% | 42.7% | 42.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 53.3% | 49.9% | 55.5% | 5 |
| 2010s | 56.7% | 54.7% | 59.1% | 8 |
| 2020s | 58.9% | 58.9% | 58.9% | 1 |
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 rates among adults in Pakistan?
- Literacy rates among adults in Pakistan was 58.9% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rates among adults recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 59.1% in 2017.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.7% in 1981.
- How does Pakistan rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Pakistan ranks 79th out of 89 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.5%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rates among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.