Pakistan remains the lowest-ranked country in South Asia for literacy, according to a new review by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).
The review is based on official data from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement-Household Integrated Economic Survey (PSLM–HEIS) 2024–2025 and compares it with World Bank literacy figures for the region.
FAFEN found that literacy in Pakistan has increased from 60% in 2018–2019 to 63% in 2024–2025. This means a rise of just three percentage points in nearly six years, a pace analysts described as “alarmingly slow” for a country with a population exceeding 240 million.
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Across South Asia, Pakistan lags far behind its neighbors. The Maldives leads the region with adult literacy above 98%, followed by Sri Lanka at 93%, India at 87% and Bangladesh at 79%.
Nepal records a literacy rate of 68%, while Bhutan stands at 65%. The South Asian regional average is 78%, which is 15 percentage points higher than Pakistan.
The data also reveals major gaps within Pakistan. Male literacy stands at 73%, while female literacy is much lower at 54%.
Among provinces, Punjab has the highest literacy rate at 68%. Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa both stand at 58%, while Balochistan records the lowest literacy rate at 49%.
Youth literacy for ages 15 to 24 is reported at 77%, but overall adult literacy for those aged 15 and above remains low at 60%. This highlights ongoing education gaps among older age groups.
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FAFEN explained that the survey defines a “literate” person as someone aged 10 or above who can read and understand a simple statement and write a simple sentence.
The organization also referred to Article 25A of Pakistan’s Constitution, which guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged five to 16. It noted that education became a provincial subject after the 18th Amendment, while Pakistan is also committed to global education targets under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
