Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan
Pakistan: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 49.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
49.7%
Change on year
down 3.1%
World rank
43rd
of 149 countries
All-time high
55.7%
in 2003
All-time low
47.9%
in 2014
Years of data
18
2003–2024
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan, 2003–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 49.7% for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in 2024.
The figure is down 3.1% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan peaked at 55.7% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 47.9%, in 2014.
Pakistan ranks 43rd of 149 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
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 55.7% | — |
| 2004 | 55.3% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 53.4% | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 51.2% | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 51.2% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 51.9% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 50.6% | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 47.9% | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 53.6% | +11.8% |
| 2016 | 52.4% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 53.0% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 53.0% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 51.0% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 50.8% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 51.9% | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 51.6% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 51.3% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 49.7% | -3.1% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 49.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 49.7%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 49.7% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 42.0%, 1.2× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 53.4% | 51.2% | 55.7% | 5 |
| 2010s | 51.7% | 47.9% | 53.6% | 8 |
| 2020s | 51.0% | 49.7% | 51.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 40 Russian Federation 50.0% compare
- 41 Iran, Islamic Republic of 49.9% compare
- 42 Turkmenistan 49.7% compare
- 44 India 49.7% compare
- 45 Senegal 49.6% compare
- 46 Uzbekistan 49.4% compare
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 percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Pakistan was 49.7% 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 55.7% in 2003.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.9% in 2014.
- How does Pakistan rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Pakistan ranks 43rd out of 149 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 up 3.7%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release