Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan

Pakistan: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 78.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
78.2%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
70th
of 155 countries
All-time high
93.5%
in 2003
All-time low
65.7%
in 2011
Years of data
18
2003–2024

Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan, 2003–2024

0204060801002003201320242003: 93.5 %2004: 88 %2005: 92 %2008: 67.1 %2009: 67.1 %2011: 65.7 %2013: 87 %2014: 84.9 %2015: 86.7 %2016: 81.7 %2017: 82.7 %2018: 80 %2019: 79.3 %2020: 78.9 %2021: 81.5 %2022: 77.6 %2023: 77.3 %2024: 78.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan stood at 78.2%.

The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 7.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan peaked at 93.5% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 65.7%, in 2011.

Pakistan ranks 70th of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions, both sexes (%) in Pakistan, 2003 to 2024.
Year % Change
2003 93.5%
2004 88.0% -5.9%
2005 92.0% +4.6%
2008 67.1% -27.1%
2009 67.1% +0.0%
2011 65.7% -2.1%
2013 87.0% +32.6%
2014 84.9% -2.5%
2015 86.7% +2.1%
2016 81.7% -5.7%
2017 82.7% +1.2%
2018 80.0% -3.2%
2019 79.3% -0.9%
2020 78.9% -0.5%
2021 81.5% +3.3%
2022 77.6% -4.7%
2023 77.3% -0.5%
2024 78.2% +1.2%

Pakistan compared with similar countries

  • Pakistan's 78.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 71.5%, 1.1× the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • Pakistan's 78.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 76.9%, 1.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions 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.

YearChange FromTo
2013 +32.6% 65.7% 87.0%
2008 -27.1% 92.0% 67.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 81.5% 67.1% 93.5% 5
2010s 81.0% 65.7% 87.0% 8
2020s 78.7% 77.3% 81.5% 5

Countries ranked near Pakistan

  1. 67 Burkina Faso 79.1% compare
  2. 68 Qatar 78.8% compare
  3. 69 Panama 78.6% compare
  4. 71 Iceland 77.8% compare
  5. 72 Italy 77.6% compare
  6. 73 Benin 77.6% compare

See the full ranking of 155 places →

More education data for Pakistan

All data for Pakistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan?
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan was 78.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Pakistan?
The highest recorded value was 93.5% in 2003.
What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Pakistan?
The lowest recorded value was 65.7% in 2011.
How does Pakistan rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
Pakistan ranks 70th out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in Pakistan?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Pakistan data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-enrolment-in-tertiary-education-in-public-institutions-both-sexes-percent/pakistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
155 places, 2,539 data points, 1998–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release