Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Pakistan
Pakistan: Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex was 28.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
28.5%
World rank
14th
of 129 countries
All-time high
42.6%
in 2020
All-time low
28.5%
in 2025
Years of data
17
2005–2025
Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Pakistan, 2005–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2025, proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Pakistan stood at 28.5%. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Pakistan peaked at 42.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 28.5%, in 2025.
Pakistan ranks 14th of 129 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.
Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 40.6% | — |
| 2006 | 36.2% | -11.0% |
| 2007 | 34.9% | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 33.3% | -4.5% |
| 2009 | 31.5% | -5.6% |
| 2010 | 31.1% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 32.0% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 37.9% | +18.3% |
| 2013 | 31.0% | -18.1% |
| 2014 | 30.9% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 30.4% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 38.0% | +25.0% |
| 2018 | 31.0% | -18.6% |
| 2019 | 29.7% | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 42.6% | +43.5% |
| 2021 | 34.6% | -18.9% |
| 2025 | 28.5% | -17.5% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 28.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.8%, 1.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 28.5% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 21.8%, 1.3× the median. (8 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.3% | 31.5% | 40.6% | 5 |
| 2010s | 32.4% | 29.7% | 38.0% | 9 |
| 2020s | 35.2% | 28.5% | 42.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 11 Jordan 30.2% compare
- 12 Timor-Leste 29.1% compare
- 12 Timor-Leste 29.1% compare
- 15 Kenya 27.8% compare
- 16 Caribbean 20.5% compare
- 16 State of Palestine 26.7% compare
- 17 Zambia 26.7% 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 proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Pakistan?
- Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Pakistan was 28.5% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 42.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.5% in 2025.
- How does Pakistan rank for proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex?
- Pakistan ranks 14th out of 129 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex and age - 13th ICLS (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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