Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Pakistan
Pakistan: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher was 8.6% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Pakistan, 2005–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Pakistan is 8.6%, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% on the previous year and up 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Pakistan peaked at 13.4% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3.9%, in 2005.
Pakistan ranks 95th of 110 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 3.9% | — |
| 2006 | 6.3% | +60.7% |
| 2007 | 5.4% | -14.8% |
| 2008 | 6.1% | +13.1% |
| 2009 | 6.7% | +9.9% |
| 2010 | 7.0% | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 7.4% | +6.1% |
| 2012 | 7.5% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 8.0% | +6.0% |
| 2014 | 8.8% | +9.5% |
| 2015 | 8.1% | -7.9% |
| 2016 | 13.4% | +66.3% |
| 2017 | 8.7% | -35.5% |
| 2018 | 8.4% | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 9.0% | +6.6% |
| 2021 | 8.6% | -3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.7% | 3.9% | 6.7% | 5 |
| 2010s | 8.6% | 7.0% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.6% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More education data for Pakistan
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,024 tertiary education (2024)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0989 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 445,877 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Pakistan?
- Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Pakistan was 8.6% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with post-secondary education or higher recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 13.4% in 2016.
- What is the lowest share of the population with post-secondary education or higher recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.9% in 2005.
- How does Pakistan rank for share of the population with post-secondary education or higher?
- Pakistan ranks 95th out of 110 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share of the population with post-secondary education or higher rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.6%. 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 Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed post-secondary or tertiary education.