HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 34
Education
from 39% to 51% overall ((Figure 2.2)), with female attendance increased from a low 24% to 34%,
and male attendance from 52% to 66%. Urban -rural disparities are most pronounced in
Balochistan, where urban female attendance is 48% as compared to just 28% in rural areas in 2024-
25.
The data shown in Table 3 demonstrates positive relationship between school attendance and
household welfare across all provinces and regions of Pakistan. As we move from the lowest (1st)
to the highest (5th) consumption quintile, school attendance rates steadily increase for both males
and females, in urban and rural areas as shown in Figure 2.4. Nationally, 77% of females and 91%
of males in the highest quintile have ever attended school, compared to only 3 4% of females and
59% of males in the lowest quintile. Urban areas show hi gher attendance than rural areas across
all quintiles, for example, urban females in the 5th quintile have a school attendance rate of 8 4%,
while rural females in the same quintile are at 67%. For provinces similar pattern is seen in Punjab,
where urban female attendance increases from 57% in the 1st quintile to 86% in the 5th, and rural
female attendance rises from 41% to 72 %. In Sindh, the urban -rural divide is more pronounced,
with female attendance at 83% in urban areas versus only 49 % in rural areas for the top quintile.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan also showed improvement with higher quintiles, although
the overall levels are lower, especially among rural females. Male attendance shows a similar
upward trend in all provinces and is consistently h igher than that of females. This indicates that
education access is closely linked with household welfare, with more affluent households having
significantly higher school attendance rates. (Table 3)
Figure 2.4: Ever Attended by Region and Quintiles
55
67 72
80
89
44
54
62
68
77
46
58
66
74
84
1st Quintile 2nd Quintile 3rd Quintile 4th Quintile 5th Quintile
Ever Attended School by Quintiles
Urban Rural Total
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 35
Education 2.2.1 Completed Primay level or higher
Nationally, the proportion of people aged 10 and older who have completed at least primary school increased from 51% in 2018 -19 to 57% in 2024 -25 (Figure 2.5), reflecting overall progress in educational attainment alongside persistent gender d isparities. Male completion increased from 61% to 65%, while female completion improved from 42% to 48%. Urban areas continue to show higher completion rates, increasing slightly from 66% to 68%, with male completion rising from 71% to 73% and female from 60% to 63%. Rural areas recorded more notable improvement, from 42% to 49%, with male completion increasing from 54% to 60% and female from 32% to 38%. Among provinces, Punjab leads wi th an increase from 57% to 62%, followed by Sindh (49% to 52%) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (44% to 52%). Although still the lowest, Balochistan recorded the largest relative gain, rising from 31% to 42%, with female completion remaining particularly low at 27% in 2024-25 compared to 56% for male. (Table 1(b)).
Figure 2.5: Population that has completed primary level or higher by province Out of School Out-of-school children are defined as those aged 5 –16 years who are not attending any formal educational institution at the time of the survey. This category includes children who have never enrolled in school as well as those who previously enrolled but subsequently dropped out. Nationally, the proportion of out -of-school children decreased slightly from 30 % in 2018 -19 to 57 62 52 52 42 51 57 49 44 31 Pakistan Punjab Sindh KP Balochistan 2024-25 2018-19
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 36
Education 28% in 2024 -25, with boys accounting for 25% and girls 31%, highlighting a persistent gender gap (Table 1(c)).
At the provincial level, Punjab has the lowest out -of-school rate, stable at 21% in 2024 -25, with boys and girls almost equally affected. Sindh showed a modest improvement from 42% to 39%, although a wide gender disparity persists, with 44% of girls and 35% of boys out of school. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reduced its out of school rate from 31% to 2 8%, while 37% of girls remain out of school compared to 20% of boys. Balochistan experienced the largest decline, from 59% to 45%, yet continues to face the highest exclusion levels, particularly among girls, with 52% out of school versus 38% of boys (Figure 2.6).
“HIES 2024-25 reports that 28 out of every 100 children (age 5-16) in Pakistan are out of school” 28 21 39 28 45 30 21 42 31 59 Pakistan Punjab Sindh KP Balochistan 2024-25 2018-19 Figure 2.6: Out of School Children age (5-16) years
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 37
Education Literacy
Table 2.1: Percentage of Out-of-School Children Age (5-16) years Provinces\Region Never Been to School Drop Out Out of School Pakistan 20 8 28 Punjab 11 10 21 Sindh 32 7 39 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 21 7 28 Balochistan 40 5 45 Urban Areas 13 7 20 Punjab 6 8 14 Sindh 20 7 27 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 15 7 22 Balochistan 30 5 35 Rural Areas 24 9 33 Punjab 14 11 25 Sindh 44 6 51 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22 7 29 Balochistan 44 4 49
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 38
Education 2.4.1 Literacy Rate (10 years and Older)
In 2024 –25, Pakistan’s literacy rate for the population aged 10 years and above increased from 60% to 63% with male literacy at 73%, and female at 54%, indicating gradual progress and a narrowing gender gap. Among regions urban areas maintained higher lit eracy levels (74% total; 81% male; 68% female) compared to rural areas (55% total; 67% male; 44% female), with rural female literacy showing the most significant improvement . (Figure 2.7).
Among provinces, Punjab recorded the highest literacy rate at 68%, followed by Sindh at 58% and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 58%, while Balochistan remained the lowest at 49%. The urban –rural divide persisted, with urban Pun jab at 78% and rural Sindh lagging at 39%. Overall, the data indicate steady yet uneven progress, with rural female literacy contributing significantly to the observed gains amid ongoing regional and gender disparities. (Table 5(a))
73 54 74 55 63 71 49 74 51 60 Male Femle Urban Rural Pakistan 2024-25 2018-19 Figure 2.7: Literacy Rate by Gender and Region
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 39
Education 2.4.2 Youth Literacy (Age 15-24 years)
The youth literacy rate, defined as, the proportion of people aged 15–24 who can read and write a simple statement with understanding stood at 77% nationally in Pakistan in 2024–25, up from 72% in 2018–19 (Figure 2.6). Male youth literacy rea ched 82%, while female youth literacy rose to 71%, reflecting continued progress and a narrowing gender gap. Urban youth literacy remained higher at 85% (87% male; 83% female) compared to rural areas, where the rate stood at 71% (79% male; 63% female). Amo ng provinces, Punjab led with 84% youth literacy (86% male; 82% female), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 75% (89% male; 63% female), Sindh at 66% (73% male; 58% female), and Balochistan at 60% (74% male; 44% female). Overall, while urban youth literacy r emains high and stable, rural areas particularly young women have shown the most notable gains, indicating gradual progress toward reducing gender and regional disparities. Figure 2.8 & Table (5(b))
Figure 2.8: Youth Literacy age (15-24) 2.4.3 Adult Literacy Rate (Age 15 years and older)
The adult literacy rate (population aged 15 years and above) in Pakistan reached 60% in 2024–25, up from 56% in 2018–19, showing gradual improvement over recent years (Figure 2.9). Male adult literacy stood at 71%, while female literacy rose to 50%, reflecting continued but modest narrowing of the gender gap. Urban adult literacy remained considerably higher at 73% (79% 77 84 66 75 60 72 79 64 69 47 Pakistan Punjab Sindh KP Balochistan 2024-25 2018-19
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 40
Education male; 66% female) compared to rural areas, where literacy stood at 51% overall (64% male; 39% female). Among provinces, Punjab has the highest adult literacy rate at 65% (72% male; 58% female), followed by Sindh at 56% (67% male; 45% female), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 54% (73% male; 38% female), and Balochistan at 45% (63% male; 26% female). The urban –rural divide persisted across all provinces, with urban Punjab recording the highest rate at 76% and rural sindh the lowest at 36%. Overall, while adult literacy continues to improve gradually, the most notable gains are among rural females, highlighting progress in access to education while underscoring the ongoing need for targeted adult learning initiatives in disadvantaged regions. Table 5(c).
Figure 2.9: Literacy, Youth Literacy and Adult literacy by province Figure 2.10 presents separate literacy levels for males and females across overall, youth, and adult categories, highlighting the gender gaps that relate to SDG Indicator 4.5.1, which monitors gender parity in education outcomes. Female literacy remains consistently lower, 54% for age 10+, 71% for youth (1 5–24), and 50% for adults (15+), compared to male literacy, which stands at 73%, 82%, and 71% respectively. Although the youth literacy gap is narrower, the wider disparities among adults and the overall population indicate that women continue to face accumulated disadvantages in educational access and completion. These differences, when translated into the gender parity index, show that parity has not yet been ach ieved, especially for adult literacy. The visual comparison therefore underscores the urgent need for gender -responsive policies to move closer to SDG 4.5’s target of eliminating gender inequalities in education. 63 68 58 58 49 77 84 66 75 6060 65 56 54 45 0 20 40 60 80 100 Pakistan Punjab Sindh KPK Balochistan Literacy Youth Literacy Adult Literacy
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 41
Education
Figure 2.10: Gender Parity in Literacy, Youth Literacy and Adult Literacy
Enrolments
Enrolments are calculated through Net Enrolment Rate (NER) and Gross Enrolment Rate (GER)
by using different age groups. Both GER and NER primary are reported for three age categories:
(ages 5–9 and 6–10) excluding katchi class and (age 4-9 years) including katchi class. Both GER
and NER for middle and matric are calculated for two age groups: “Middle” (ages 10–12 and 11–
13), and “Matric” (ages 13–14 and 14–15). However, looking at the ground realities and advert of
pre-primary education widely specially in urban areas, it seems more appropriate to consider the
age group 6–10 for Primary, 11–13 for Middle, and 14–15 for Matric.
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 42
Education 2.5.1 Primary Enrolment Rate
a) Gross Enrolment Rates Primary; Nationally, the Gross Enrolment Ratios (GER) in Pakistan show slight changes between 2018–19 and 2024–25. For the 6–10 age group, GER increased marginally from 87% to 90% (Figure 2.11), while for the 5–9 age group it remained unchanged at 87%. Provincially, Punjab continued to lead, with GER rising to 100% for the 6–10 age group and 98% for the 5–9 age group, reflecting modest improvements. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also recorded gains, with GER reaching 90% for 6–10 and 84% for 5–9. In contrast, Sindh showed smaller increases, with GER rising to 80% for the 6–10 age group and 77% for the 5–9 age group, while Balochistan improved to 60% for 6–10 and 59% for 5–9. These trends highlight persistent regional disparities in access to primary education, with Sindh and Balochistan continuing to lag behind Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (Table 8) Figure 2.11: Gross Enrolment Rate at Primary Age (6-10) Excluding Katchi By province
90 100 80 90 60 87 95 78 86 57 Pakistan Punjab Sindh KP Balochistan 2024-25 2018-19
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 43
Education b) NET Enrolment Rates Primary In 2024 –25, the Net Enrolment Rate (NER) for primary school children aged 6 –10 years in Pakistan stood at 68%, reflecting a slight increase from 66% in 2018 –19 (Table 9a) . Among the provinces, Punjab continued to lead with an NER of 77%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 66%, Sindh reached 60%, and Balochistan, although still the lowest, improved to 43%. These figures indicate gradual national gains in primary enrolment, yet highlight persistent provincial dispariti es, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan. (Figure 2.12).
The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) for children aged 5–9 years in Pakistan stood at 54% in 2024–25, showing a slight increase from 53% in 2018–19 (Figure 2.13). Punjab continued to have the highest NER at 62%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 50%, Sindh reached 50%, and Balochistan, although still the lowest, recorded 32%. The relatively lower NER in this younger age group highlights delayed school entry and under-enrolment, particularly in underserved regions. (Table 9b)
Figure 2.13: NER Primary Age (5-9) by Province 54 62 50 50 32 53 60 48 48 33 Pakistan Punjab Sindh KP Balochistan 2024-25 2018-19 68 77 60 66 43 66 73 58 64 40 Pakistan Punjab Sindh KP Balochistan 2024-25 Figure 2.12: NER Primary Age (6-10) years Excluding Katchi
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 44
Education
c) Percentage of Children Attending Primary (Including Katchi Class); The gap between the Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) and Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is influenced by the presence of overage children in primary education, as indicated by the 2024 –25 enrolment data. Enrolment begins at age 4, with 29% of children present enrolled in Katchi, increasing steadily to peak between ages 8 and 10, where boys’ enrolment ranges from 83% to 86% and girls’ enrolment ranges from 76% to 82%. Attendance then declines after age 10: at age 11, 56% of boys and 49% of girls are in primary, while 2 7% of boys and 30% of girls are in secondary school; at age 12, 33% of boys and 28% of girls are in primary, with 4 6% of boys and 42% of girls in secondary; and by age 13, only 1 9% of boys and 15% of girls remain in primary, while 60% of boys and 55% of girls are in secondary. This pattern reflects both delayed school entry and grade progression into secondary school, with older children increasingly in higher grades. Girls generally have lower enrolment in primary compared to boys, highlighting persistent g ender disparities that require targeted interventions to ensure timely enrolment and reduce dropout rates, particularly for female students. Overall, the data indicate that while primary enrolment remains high for ages 6–10, the transition to secondary school is gradual, and age-appropriate progression is slower for girls. (Figure 2.14 & (Table 10))
Figure 2.14: Children Attending Primary (Including Katchi Class) 29 54 73 81 83 86 84 56 33 19 30 55 69 78 78 82 76 49 28 15 4 Years 5 Years 6 Years 7 Years 8 Years 9 Years 10 Years 11 Years 12 Years 13 Years Male Female
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 45
Education 2.5.2 Enrollment in Government Schools
The HIES Survey 2024 –25 provides important insights into enrolment patterns in government primary schools, measuring the proportion of children aged 5 –9 years enrolled in government institutions relative to the total population of that age group. Despite e fforts to expand access to public education, the national Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) for government primary schools slightly declined from 51% in 2018 –19 to 50% in 2024 –25 (Table 11a). Provincially, Punjab’s GER decreased marginally from 52% to 51%, Sindh’ s rose slightly from 45% to 4 6%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa increased slightly to 57% from 56%, while Balochistan recorded a drop from 44% to 42%. Urban areas continue to rely less on public schools, with an urban GER of only 39% compared to 56% in rural areas , reflecting the greater prevalence of private schooling in cities. These findings underscore the modest but persistent decline or stagnation in government school enrolment nationally and the continued importance of public education in rural regions, where it remains the main provider of primary schooling. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) for government primary schools (ages 5– 9), which measures age -appropriate enrolment and excludes overage children, shows a modest national increase from 29% in 2018 –19 to 30% in 2024–25 (Figure 2.15). This slight improvement reflects gradual progress in expanding access to government schools and better alignment of enrolments with age - appropriate grades. Provincially, Punjab’s NER remained slightly increased from 30% to 31%, Sindh’s rose from 26% to 29%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s improved from 30% to 34%, while Balochistan’s declined from 25% to 2 3%, indicating mixed progress across regions. Rural areas continue to rely more heavily on public education, with an NER of 35% in rural areas compared to 22% in urban areas, underscoring the central role of government schools in rural service delivery. While these res ults indicate slow but steady progress in some provinces, overall Figure 2.15: Net Enrolment Rate at Govt Primary age (5-9) excluding katchi
30 31 29 34 23 29 30 26 30 25 Pakistan Punjab Sindh KP Balochistan 2024-25 2018-19
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 46
Education enrolment coverage still falls short of universal education goals, highlighting the need for continued investment and quality improvements in the public schooling system. (Table 11b) The school enrolment patterns in Pakistan for 2024–25 reveal a continued reliance on government schools, particularly in rural areas. Nationally, 57% of students up to matric level attend government schools , while 37% are enrolled in private institutions (Figure 2.16) , with minor shares in Deeni madrassas (2%) and NGO/trust schools (4%). Provincially, government schools dominate in Balochistan (69%) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (65%), whereas Punjab (53%) and Sindh (57%) show a relatively lower share of governmen t school enrolment. In contrast, private school enrolment is highest in Punjab (40%) , followed by Sindh (3 6%), KP (31%) , and Balochistan (25%), reflecting urban preferences and regional disparities in private education access. Across school levels, governm ent schools have a strong presence in middle and matric levels, while private institutions are more prominent in primary education , highlighting the dual pattern of public and private provision across the country. Overall, these trends indicate that while government schools remain the backbone of primary and secondary education, private schools continue to play a significant role, particularly in urban and more developed provinces. (Table 12)
2.5.3 Katchi Class/Pre-Nursery
Although the Katchi class, or pre-nursery, is primarily intended for children aged four to five years, a substantial share of overage children continues to be enrolled at th is level. In 2024–25, 37% of Figure 2.16: Children Currently Attending School by type of School
HIES 2024-25 (SOCIAL REPORT) 47
Education five-year-olds and 23% of four-year-olds are enrolled in Katchi, with both indicators showing almost no change compared to 2018–19, when enrolment stood at 36% and 23%, respectively (Table 2.2). Furthermore, 23% of current Katchi learners are six-year-olds, highlighting delayed entry into the formal system. Over-age enrolment (children aged six and above) remains more pronounced in rural areas than urban areas. For example, in 2024–25, 13% of seven-year-olds in rural areas are enrolled in Katchi compared to 6% in urban areas. Similarly, 6% of rural eight- year-olds and 2% of rural nine-year-olds are still in Katchi, while the shares in urban areas are only 3% and 1%. Overall, the data indicate that although early childhood participation has remained steady, challenges related to timely school readiness and age-appropriate progression persist, particularly in rural regions where overage enrolment remains elevated relative to 2018– 19.
Table 2.2: Children Currently Enrolled In Katchi Class - By Gender And Age
2024-25 2018-19 Urban Rural Total Urban Rural Total BOTH SEXES:
4 Years 26 21 23 25 23 23 5 Years 41 34 37 40 34 36 6 Years 22 23 23 24 27 26 7 Years 6 13 10 9 13 11 8 Years 3 6 5 3 4 4 9 Years 1 2 2 0 0 0 10+ Years 1 1 1 0 0 0 BOYS:
4 Years 25 21 22 24 21 22 5 Years 39 33 35 39 33 35 6 Years 25 24 24 24 27 26 7 Years 6 14 11 10 14 12 8 Years 4 6 5 3 5 4 9 Years 1 2 2 0 0 0 10+ Years 0 0 0 0 0 0 GIRLS:
4 Years 27 22 24 25 24 25 5 Years 43 35 38 41 35 37 6 Years 19 22 21 24 26 25 7 Years 7 11 9 8 11 10 8 Years 2 6 4 2 3 3 9 Years 1 2 2 0 0 0 10+ Years 1 1 1 0 0 0