Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Pakistan

Pakistan: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male was 68.4% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
68.4%
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
75th
of 83 countries
All-time high
68.4%
in 2017
All-time low
33.9%
in 1981
Years of data
13
1981–2017

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Pakistan, 1981–2017

02040601981199920171981: 33.9 %1998: 51.9 %2005: 60.4 %2006: 64.3 %2007: 62.7 %2008: 66 %2009: 65.8 %2010: 66.1 %2011: 64.1 %2012: 67.1 %2013: 65.8 %2014: 66.2 %2017: 68.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Pakistan is 68.4%, measured in 2017. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 9.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Pakistan peaked at 68.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 33.9%, in 1981.

Pakistan ranks 75th of 83 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Pakistan, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) in Pakistan, 1981 to 2017.
Year % Change
1981 33.9%
1998 51.9% +53.0%
2005 60.4% +16.4%
2006 64.3% +6.5%
2007 62.7% -2.5%
2008 66.0% +5.4%
2009 65.8% -0.3%
2010 66.1% +0.4%
2011 64.1% -3.0%
2012 67.1% +4.6%
2013 65.8% -1.9%
2014 66.2% +0.7%
2017 68.4% +3.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 33.9% 33.9% 33.9% 1
1990s 51.9% 51.9% 51.9% 1
2000s 63.8% 60.4% 66.0% 5
2010s 66.3% 64.1% 68.4% 6

Countries ranked near Pakistan

  1. 72 Mozambique 72.0% compare
  2. 73 Burundi 70.7% compare
  3. 74 Malawi 68.8% compare
  4. 76 Nigeria 67.8% compare
  5. 77 Senegal 60.3% compare
  6. 78 Central African Republic 50.4% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Pakistan

All data for Pakistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Pakistan?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Pakistan was 68.4% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Pakistan?
The highest recorded value was 68.4% in 2017.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Pakistan?
The lowest recorded value was 33.9% in 1981.
How does Pakistan rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
Pakistan ranks 75th out of 83 countries with data for 2017.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Pakistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.1%. 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 Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Pakistan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-male-percent/pakistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,219 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the male population between age 25 and age 64 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of male literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.