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.
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
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 59.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 36.2% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 10 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 83.7% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 445,877 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.55 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 82.4% (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.