I use this on archive pages. If you are trying to use it elsewhere then that might be a cause of the issue.
if ( ! function_exists( '_s_pagination_links' ) ) :
/**
* Numbered pagination
*/
function _s_pagination_links() {
global $wp_query;
$total_pages = $wp_query->max_num_pages;
if ($total_pages > 1){
$current_page = max(1, get_query_var('paged'));
echo paginate_links(array(
'base' => get_pagenum_link(1) . '%_%',
'format' => 'page/%#%',
'type' => 'list',
'current' => $current_page,
'total' => $total_pages,
));
}
}
endif;