A Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating girls' education has been discharged from a specialist British hospital after doctors said she was well enough to spend some time recovering with her family.

Fifteen-year-old Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by the Taliban in October last year and brought to Britain for treatment, was discharged on Thursday but is due to be re-admitted in late January or early February for reconstructive surgery to her skull, doctors said.

The attack on Malala, who was shot in the head at point blank range after becoming a symbol of resistance to the Taliban's efforts to deny women education and other rights, drew widespread international condemnation.

"Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery," said Dave Rosser, medical director of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where Malala was treated.

"Following discussions with Malala and her medical team, we decided that she would benefit from being at home with her parents and two brothers."