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NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 150
only 15.06% of children out of school. Table 4.23 highlights the proportion of children out of school, Balochistan has the highest percentage, with 57.97% of children not enrolled in school, followed by Sindh at 46.29%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 37.49%, and Punjab having the lowest proportion of out-of-school children at 26.98%. Table 4.23: Province Wise Population Aged 5-16 Years and Out Of School Children Aged 5-16 Years (In Million)
In figure 4.14, the gender-wise distribution of out-of-school children across provinces reveals
that Punjab has 4.77 million males and 4.09 million females out of school, whereas Sindh
shows a relatively balanced but still concerning figure of 1.73 million males and 1.53 million
females. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2.00 million males and 2.92 million females remain out of
school, indicating a significant gender gap. Balochistan exhibits similar trends, with 1.42
million males and 1.40 million females deprived of education.
Region / Sex
Total
Population
In-School
Out of
School
Children
Never to
School
Drop
Out
In-
School
Out of
School
Children
Never
to
School
Drop
Out
Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa
13,133,856
8,209,704
4,924,152
4,259,321
664,831
62.51
37.49
32.43
5.06
Punjab
35,578,562
25,978,398
9,600,164
6,443,194
3,156,970
73.02
26.98
18.11
8.87
Sindh
16,891,397
9,073,149
7,818,248
6,616,348
1,201,900
53.71
46.29
39.17
7.12
Balochistan
5,074,550
2,132,860
2,941,690
2,674,108
267,582
42.03
57.97
52.70
5.27
Islamabad
591,703
502,576
89,127
40,477
48,650
84.94
15.06
6.84
8.22
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 151
Figure 4.14: Percentage of Population for Out Of School Children Aged 5-16 Years (In Millions)
District Wise Analysis Out of School Children (OOSC) 5-16 years
The OOSC Percentage across 136 districts shows an average OOSC Percentage of 35.6%. The
districts with OOSC Percentage higher than the average of 35.6% are 84. Whereas 52 districts
fall below the average OOSC Percentage of 35.6%. This average serves as a benchmark to
assess the distribution of out of school children (OOSC) Percentage in the districts of Pakistan.
A comprehensive analysis of National-level Out of School Children (OOSC) in Pakistan aims to identify disparities, understand regional educational challenges, and inform policy decisions to improve literacy outcomes across districts.
The Out of School Children across the districts reveal a diverse distribution. The data, categorized into different literacy rate brackets, is as follows:
• Up to 15.0% OOSC Percentage: There are 8 districts fall into this category, indicating that in these areas, the OOSC Percentage is relatively low. Which is good sign for education. • 15.1% to 30.0% OOSC Percentage: There are 35 districts that a significant portion of districts have OOSC Percentage within this range. In this range more children are out of school as compared to previous bracket. • 30.1% to 45.0% OOSC Percentage: there are 26 districts where OOSC Percentage fall into this bracket. • 45.1% to 60.0% OOSC Percentage: there are 32 districts in this range, showing higher OOSC Percentage which indicates more out of school children percentage in these areas. 60.1% and Above OOSC Percentage: there 35 districts, with highest level of OOSC Percentage, which indicates a worst scenario compared to the previous categories. In this range most of the children are out of school. By analyzing the low ranked districts in terms of OOSC Percentage which depicts better situation, the Lowest OOSC Percentage has been observed two districts of province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa i.e. in District Upper Chitral (10.46%) , District Abbotabad (11.79%), two districts of Province Punjab i.e. District Sialkot (12.62%), District Jhelum (12.70%) and one district of province KP, district Haripur (13.68%). The lower OOSC percentage indicates that the district is good at education and most of the children are going to school. 25.37 11.97 13.41 4.92 2.00 2.92 9.60 4.77 4.83 7.82 3.73 4.09 2.94 1.42 1.53 0.09 0.05 0.04 Total Male Female Pakistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Sindh Balochistan Islamabad
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 152
Figure 4.15: District Wise Out of School (05-16) In Pakistan, Census- 2023 Figure 4.16 provides a district-wise comparison of out-of-school children (ages 5-16) across Pakistan, with the purple and red vertical dashed lines representing the national and provincial averages, respectively.
In Balochistan, 33 out of 34 districts have out-of-school rates higher than the national average of 35.60%, making it the most affected province. Districts like Sherani, Killa Abdullah, and Kacchi show alarmingly high percentages of children not attending school, primarily due to inadequate educational facilities, long travel distances to schools, and cultural restrictions, especially for girls.
Sindh follows closely, with 25 out of 30 districts exceeding the national average. Rural areas such as Thatta, Sujawal and Kashmore struggle with low school enrollment due to extreme poverty, child labor, and lack of government intervention, whereas urban centers like Karachi report relatively better school participation.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 19 out of 35 districts have out-of-school rates above the national average, with districts such as Kolai Palas, Kohistan and Waziristan facing significant educational challenges due to difficult terrains, security issues, and limited access to schools. Punjab, however, shows a comparatively better situation, with only 6 out of 36 districts having out-of-school rates above the national threshold. While most urban areas in Punjab benefit from better infrastructure and strong education policies, some southern districts, such as Rajanpur and Dera Gazi Khan, still struggle with high dropout rates due to economic hardships and lack of educational awareness.
These regional variations highlight the urgent need for targeted policy measures to reduce the number of out-of-school children. Provinces like Balochistan and Sindh require significant investment in school infrastructure, teacher availability, and financial support programs to encourage enrollment. In KP, security concerns and geographical challenges must be addressed by introducing mobile schools and community-based learning centers.
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 153
Figure 4.16: District Wise Comparison of Out Of School Children (5-16 Years of Age)
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 154
4.6.3 Gender Parity Index
Gender parity refers to relative equality between men and women, or girls and boys, in terms
of numbers and proportions in a given area. The gender parity index measures the progress
towards gender parity in participation and/or educational opportunities for females compared
to males. It refers to the ratio of any quantifiable indicator for men compared to the same
indicator for women. For example, the gender parity index in primary education is the ratio of
female students to male students. The gender parity index of 1 indicates the parity/equality
between females and males. A value of less than 1 g enerally indicates a disparity in favor of
boys/men, while a value greater than 1 indicates disparity in favor of girls/women.
District Wise Analysis of Gender Parity index
The top district among 136 districts of Pakistan i.e, District Karachi Central (99.36%), Karachi
East (96.73%), District Gujranwala (96.45%), District Korangi (96.36) followed by Sialkot
(95.38%).
Figure 4.17 represents the gender parity in terms of literacy. The gender parity index
data across the 136 districts shows an average gender parity index of 77.71%, where 27 districts
have gender parity index higher than the average and 109 districts fall below the average gender
parity index. The data, categorized into different brackets based on literacy is as follows:
• Up to 40.0% Gender Parity Index: 11 districts belong to this category which indicates the lowest gender parity index.
• 40.1% to 60.0% Gender Parity Index: There are 39 districts fall in this category reflecting moderate levels of gender parity index.
• 60.1% to 80.0% Gender Parity Index: There are 57 districts lie in this category which shows that a significant portion of districts lie within this range.
• 80.1% and Above Gender Parity Index: There are 29 districts belong to this category. which indicates that the female and male enjoy the same opportunities and rights in education.
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 155
Figure 4.17: District Wise Gender Parity Index in Pakistan Census-2023
By analyzing the low ranked districts in terms of gender parity index, it is found that the five
lowest ranked districts are from Province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The district Torghar of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa 26.75% with the lowest gender parity index while other Districts with lowest
gender parity index are Orakzai 29.54%, Khyber 29.55%, Bajaur 30.82% and Lower Kohistan
30.99%.
4.6.4 Educational Attainment
Educational attainment levels provide the trained and qualified manpower, which is essential
for increasing productivity, accelerating economic
growth, and i mproving skills of individuals.
According to Census -2023, 59.40% of the
population aged 5 years and above have attended
school and attained some level of education, while
a significant proportion 40.60% of the population
has never received any formal education. (Figure
4.18)
The total number of educated people in
Pakistan, with some educational attainment is
recorded as 115,551,039 in Census -2023. Table
3.24 shows that out of the total literate population,
40.60
59.40
never attended attended
Figure 4.18: Percentage of Population
Who Have Attended School
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 156
22.25% have passed only primary, 17.37% have passed only middle and 17.85% have completed matriculation. The percentage falls to 8.86% for intermediate, 6.15% for bachelors and 2.89% for masters and above level of education. In addition, only 0.21% hold a diploma or certificate. Educational attainment is generally higher in urban areas compared to rural areas, except for primary and below primary levels.
The table 4.24 also presents educational attainment by gender, where women have higher proportions of completing primary level education than that of men and this difference is greater in rural areas than in urban areas. This pattern, however, is reversed for middle and higher levels of education where men exceed from their female counterparts in terms of educational attainment. Table 4.24: Educational Attainment Levels by Sex and Rural/Urban : Census – 2023
Figure 4.19 illustrates the percentage distribution of the population based on level of educational attainment. A significant portion of the population, totaling 67.51%, falls below the matriculation level, including those with middle 17.37%, primary 22.25%, and below primary 27.89% education. This indicates a major challenge in educational retention beyond the early years. Meanwhile, 26.71% of the population has completed matriculation 17.85% and intermediate 8.86%, showing a relatively better representation at the secondary level. The percentage of graduates remains low, with only 6.15% of the population having attained a 2- year 4.29% or 4-year 1.86% graduate degree. Higher education attainment is even lower, as only 3.45% of the population has completed master’s 2.89% The data highlights the need for improved access to higher education, as the majority of the population does not progress beyond secondary schooling. Education All Areas Rural Urban
All Sexes Males Females Trans gender All Sexes Males Females Trans geders All Sexes Males Females Trans gender Below Primary 27.89 26.61 29.59 12.06 32.98 30.78 36.24 11.60 22.45 21.77 23.28 12.17 Primary 22.25 21.77 22.90 27.55 25.55 24.76 26.70 30.16 18.74 18.29 19.29 26.92 Middle 17.37 18.40 15.99 20.62 17.32 18.69 15.28 22.95 17.43 18.06 16.67 20.05 Matri 17.85 18.95 16.37 13.64 16.05 17.74 13.55 14.48 19.76 20.36 19.04 13.43 Inter 8.86 8.98 8.71 4.53 6.88 7.38 6.15 4.39 10.98 10.85 11.14 4.57 Graduate (2Years) 4.29 4.10 4.54 1.24 2.76 2.71 2.82 1.38 5.93 5.72 6.18 1.20 Graduate (4Years) 1.86 1.98 1.71 0.74 1.04 1.15 0.87 0.88 2.74 2.94 2.50 0.70 Master & Above 2.89 2.74 3.08 0.67 2.03 1.97 2.12 0.94 3.79 3.63 4.00 0.61 M.Phil/ Ph.D 0.35 0.36 0.34 0.15 0.21 0.23 0.17 0.06 0.50 0.51 0.50 0.17 Diploma/ Certificate 0.21 0.28 0.12 0.23 0.16 0.20 0.11 0.31 0.26 0.37 0.14 0.21 Others 1.05 1.09 0.99 0.72 0.91 0.87 0.97 1.19 1.19 1.35 1.00 0.61 Total Literate – 5 years+ (N) 115,551,039 66,100,487 49,442,390 8,162 59,626,618 35,547,650 24,077,373 1,595 55,924,421 30,552,837 25,365,017 6,567