Nearly 28% of Pakistani children out of school as gender, rural gaps widen education divide

Nearly 28% of children aged 5–16 are not enrolled in school, with girls disproportionately affected, as 34% of girls are out of school compared to 22% of boys. These disparities are more pronounced in rural areas, particularly for girls, where exclusion from education is much worse, revealing a clear intersection of gender and geography as a predictor of educational disadvantage.

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The HIES survey by Gallup Pakistan highlights that although two-thirds of Pakistanis aged 10 and above have attended school at some point, access to education remains highly unequal across the country. The national literacy rate is at 63%, and male literacy stands at 73%, while female literacy lags at 52%. Urban areas fare better, with 77% literacy compared to 56% in rural areas.

While 68% of children are enrolled in primary school, the numbers drop sharply at higher levels of education: only 40% are enrolled in middle school and around 30% in matriculation. This steep decline in retention highlights the challenges many face in continuing their education, particularly in rural and underprivileged areas, pointing to structural barriers such as school distance, safety concerns, and rising opportunity costs as children age, especially pronounced for rural girls.

According to their analysis, dropout patterns show that the transition from primary to middle school is a point of attrition. Economic pressures, domestic responsibilities, and limited post-primary schooling options contribute to early exit from the education system.

For girls, these challenges are compounded by social expectations and early marriage.

At the provincial level, Punjab leads with the highest literacy rate at 66%, while Sindh stands at 61%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) at 55%, and Balochistan lags far behind at just 43%. This provincial gap further illustrates the unequal distribution of educational opportunities, with Balochistan facing unique challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and a lack of accessible educational resources.

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Gallup Pakistan’s analysis stresses that while progress has been made in increasing school enrolment, the real challenge lies in addressing the persistent and deep‑rooted inequalities that continue to shape Pakistan’s education system. These inequalities, linked to gender, geography, and economic factors, prevent many children from receiving a quality education. Moving forward, policymakers must focus on not just increasing school enrolment, but also improving retention rates, ensuring gender equity, and reducing the impact of geographic and economic barriers to education.