Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Pakistan

Pakistan: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female was 68.1% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
68.1%
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
36th
of 39 countries
All-time high
68.1%
in 2017
All-time low
35.9%
in 1981
Years of data
13
1981–2017

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Pakistan, 1981–2017

02040601981199920171981: 35.9 %1998: 51.9 %2005: 59 %2006: 61.4 %2007: 61 %2008: 60.3 %2009: 62.8 %2010: 62.9 %2011: 64.9 %2012: 64.4 %2013: 63.3 %2014: 66.4 %2017: 68.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2017, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Pakistan stood at 68.1%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Pakistan peaked at 68.1% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 35.9%, in 1981.

That places Pakistan 36th out of 39 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Pakistan, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female (%) in Pakistan, 1981 to 2017.
Year % Change
1981 35.9%
1998 51.9% +44.8%
2005 59.0% +13.6%
2006 61.4% +4.1%
2007 61.0% -0.7%
2008 60.3% -1.2%
2009 62.8% +4.1%
2010 62.9% +0.2%
2011 64.9% +3.1%
2012 64.4% -0.6%
2013 63.3% -1.9%
2014 66.4% +4.9%
2017 68.1% +2.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 35.9% 35.9% 35.9% 1
1990s 51.9% 51.9% 51.9% 1
2000s 60.9% 59.0% 62.8% 5
2010s 65.0% 62.9% 68.1% 6

Countries ranked near Pakistan

  1. 33 Egypt 77.1% compare
  2. 34 Mozambique 74.2% compare
  3. 35 Morocco 71.0% compare
  4. 37 Burkina Faso 55.6% compare
  5. 38 Mali 50.5% compare
  6. 39 Senegal 49.5% compare

See the full ranking of 39 places →

More reference data data for Pakistan

All data for Pakistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Pakistan?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Pakistan was 68.1% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female recorded in Pakistan?
The highest recorded value was 68.1% in 2017.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female recorded in Pakistan?
The lowest recorded value was 35.9% in 1981.
How does Pakistan rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female?
Pakistan ranks 36th out of 39 countries with data for 2017.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female rising or falling in Pakistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. 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, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Pakistan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-urban-female-percent/pakistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
39 places, 366 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of females in urban areas over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/