Pakistan's Literacy Rate Climbs to 63% Across Nation

Pakistan's overall literacy rate has reached 63%, with Punjab topping the provinces and urban areas at 74% versus 55% in rural zones.

NationPulse Desk

Oct 27, 2026 · 12:10 PM 1 min read

Key takeaways

National literacy rate reached 63 percent after two years.

Punjab leads with a 68 percent literacy rate.

Urban literacy stands at 74 percent, rural at 55 percent.

342,547 educational institutions are recorded nationwide.

Balochistan has the lowest provincial rate at about 49 percent.

Pakistan's national literacy rate has moved past the 60 percent psychological barrier, reaching 63 percent over the past two years, with Punjab leading among the provinces.

Punjab's rate rose from 66.25 percent to 68 percent, followed by Sindh, which went up from 57.54 percent to 58 percent. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa increased from 51.09 percent to 58 percent, while Balochistan climbed from 42.01 percent to around 49 percent, remaining the lowest.

In Punjab, the overall literacy stands at 68 percent, made up of 75 percent men and 62 percent women.

Sindh's overall literacy is 58 percent, with 68 percent men and 47 percent women. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also records 58 percent, comprising 73 percent men and 43 percent women, and Balochistan's 49 percent consists of 61 percent men and 37 percent women.

At the provincial level, urban literacy totals 74 percent, compared with 55 percent in rural areas. The Pakistan Institute of Education and the Ministry of Education report a total of 342,547 educational institutions in the country.

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