Islamabad, 13 Oct 2023: A press release from Gallup Pakistan unveils a slight uptick in the percentage of Pakistanis who report having read the entire Quran at least once in their lifetime, based on comparative survey data from 2019 and 2023. Both instances of the survey inquired from a representative sample of adult men and women across the nation about whether they had ever read the Quran in its entirety. The findings indicate a modest 4% increase in affirmative responses over the four-year period, while the percentage of negative responses remained unchanged.

According to the 2019 Gallup and Gilani Pakistan National Survey, 72% of respondents claimed to have read the entire Quran at least once in their life, while 24% denied having done so. 4% either did not know or opted not to respond. When the same question was posed in 2023, the proportion of affirmative answers saw a slight rise to 76%, whereas the negative responses steadfastly held at 24%. The remaining percentage, analogous to the 2019 results, did not provide a definitive answer.

This subtle yet notable change over the four-year span delineates a marginal but consistent growth in the number of Pakistanis engaging in the thorough reading of the Quran. The consistency in the percentage of those who responded with a ‘no’ provides a compelling insight into the stable section of the population that has not engaged in reading the entire Quran across these years. The data brings forward nuanced information which might be pivotal for researchers and policymakers interested in understanding and navigating the dynamics of religious engagement in Pakistan.