Literacy rate in Pakistan rises to 63%: Punjab 68%, Balochistan lowest at 49%

The literacy rate in Pakistan has risen to 63%, up over the past two years, with Punjab the highest province at 68% and Balochistan the lowest at about 49%, according to figures from the Pakistan Institute of Education and the Ministry of Education reported by ProPakistani on Tuesday. The figures also count 342,547 educational institutions in the country.

Province by province

The biggest jump is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, up about 7 points, followed by Balochistan, up about 7. Sindh barely moved, adding less than half a point.

The gaps that remain

• Women. In every province the female rate is well below the male one. The gap is 13 points in Punjab, 21 in Sindh, 24 in Balochistan and 30 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where fewer than half of women can read and write.
• Villages. The urban literacy rate is 74% against 55% in rural areas, a 19-point gap.
• Balochistan. Roughly one person in two still cannot read, the lowest figure in the country.

What it means

The 63% figure takes the national rate past 60%. The gains in KP and Balochistan suggest enrolment drives are reaching new students, but the female and rural numbers show where the next gains have to come from. The report does not say how many children remain out of school.

For students and parents

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