Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female in Pakistan

Pakistan: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female was 22.9% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
22.9%
Change on year
up 8.6%
World rank
32nd
of 35 countries
All-time high
22.9%
in 2017
All-time low
4.8%
in 1981
Years of data
13
1981–2017

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

5101520251981199920171981: 4.8 %1998: 11.6 %2005: 16.4 %2006: 18.2 %2007: 17.1 %2008: 18.8 %2009: 18.2 %2010: 19.2 %2011: 19.2 %2012: 20.5 %2013: 19.7 %2014: 21.1 %2017: 22.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2017, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female in Pakistan stood at 22.9%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.

That represents a change of up 8.6% on the previous year and up 33.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female in Pakistan peaked at 22.9% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 1981.

That places Pakistan 32nd out of 35 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.

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

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female (%) in Pakistan, 1981 to 2017.
Year % Change
1981 4.8%
1998 11.6% +140.5%
2005 16.4% +40.8%
2006 18.2% +10.9%
2007 17.1% -6.0%
2008 18.8% +9.7%
2009 18.2% -3.2%
2010 19.2% +5.8%
2011 19.2% +0.0%
2012 20.5% +6.4%
2013 19.7% -3.8%
2014 21.1% +7.0%
2017 22.9% +8.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 4.8% 4.8% 4.8% 1
1990s 11.6% 11.6% 11.6% 1
2000s 17.7% 16.4% 18.8% 5
2010s 20.4% 19.2% 22.9% 6

Countries ranked near Pakistan

  1. 29 Egypt 49.0% compare
  2. 30 Uganda 45.1% compare
  3. 31 Morocco 31.0% compare
  4. 33 Senegal 21.1% compare
  5. 34 Burkina Faso 9.7% compare
  6. 35 Mali 9.3% compare

See the full ranking of 35 places →

More reference data data for Pakistan

All data for Pakistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female in Pakistan?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female in Pakistan was 22.9% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female recorded in Pakistan?
The highest recorded value was 22.9% in 2017.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female recorded in Pakistan?
The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 1981.
How does Pakistan rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female?
Pakistan ranks 32nd out of 35 countries with data for 2017.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female rising or falling in Pakistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 33.6%. 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, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female in Pakistan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-rural-female-percent/pakistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
35 places, 326 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the female population in rural areas 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 female literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/