Literacy in Pakistan is a key for social-economic progress. The literacy rate in Pakistan has seen gradual improvement over the past few decades, but it remains a significant challenge. According to recent data, the overall literacy rate in Pakistan is estimated to be around 60-65% [1] , with notable gender disparities. The literacy rate for males is generally higher than that for females, particularly in rural areas, where access to education is more limited. Several factors contribute to low literacy rates, including poverty, cultural barriers, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of quality education in certain regions. Efforts to improve literacy have been made through various government and NGO initiatives, but achieving universal literacy remains a long-term goal. Enhancing educational opportunities, especially for girls, and addressing regional disparities are crucial steps toward improving Pakistan's literacy rate [2] .
The definition of literacy has been undergoing changes, with the result that the literacy figure has vacillated irregularly during the various censuses. A summary is as follows: [3]
Year of census [3] | Total [3] | Male [3] | Female [3] | Urban [4] | Rural [4] | Definition of being "literate" [3] | Age group [4] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1951 (West Pakistan) | 17.9% [5] | 21.4% [5] | 13.9% [5] | N/A | N/A | One who can read a clear print in any language | All Ages |
1961 (West Pakistan) | 16.9% [5] | 26.1% [5] | 6.7% [5] | 34.8% | 10.6% | One who is able to read with understanding a simple letter in any language | Age 5 and above |
1972 | 21.7% | 30.2% | 11.6% | 41.5% | 14.3% | One who is able to read and write in some language with understanding | Age 10 and Above |
1981 | 26.2% | 35.1% | 16.0% | 47.1% | 17.3% | One who can read newspaper and write a simple letter | Age 10 and Above |
1998 | 43.92% | 54.81% | 32.02% | 63.08% | 33.64% | One who can read a newspaper and write a simple letter, in any language | Age 10 and Above |
2021 | 62.8% | 68% | 52.84% | 74.09% | 51.56% | Age 10 and Above |
Province | Literacy rate [3] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1972 | 1981 | 1998 | 2021 | 2023 | ||
Punjab | 20.7% | 27.4% | 46.56% | 66.3% | ... | |
Sindh | 30.2% | 31.5% | 45.29% | 61.8% | ... | |
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 15.5% | 16.7% | 35.41% | 55.1% | ... | |
Balochistan | 10.1% | 10.3% | 26.6% | 54.5% | ... | |
Islamabad (ICT) | ... | 47.8% [6] [7] | 72.40% [6] | ... | 96% | |
Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) | ... | 25.7% [8] | 55% [9] | ... | 91% (2021) [10] | |
Gilgit-Baltistan | ... | 3% [11] | 37.85% [11] | ... | NA |
Unit [19] | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2012 | 2015 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Azad Jammu & Kashmir | 3.78 | 4.59 | 5.42 | 7.47 | 7.22 | 7.35 | 6.92 | 6.51 |
Balochistan | 1.77 | 2.15 | 2.53 | 3.49 | 3.25 | 3.14 | 3.17 | 3.10 |
FATA | 1.42 | 1.73 | 2.04 | 2.81 | 2.71 | 2.69 | 2.60 | 2.45 |
Gilgit-Baltistan | 2.01 | 2.44 | 2.88 | 3.97 | 3.84 | 3.80 | 4.59 | 5.17 |
Islamabad (ICT) | 4.16 | 5.05 | 5.96 | 8.21 | 9.67 | 10.70 | 9.62 | 8.34 |
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 1.83 | 2.22 | 2.62 | 3.62 | 3.80 | 3.97 | 3.95 | 3.82 |
Punjab | 1.96 | 2.38 | 2.81 | 3.88 | 4.44 | 4.85 | 5.23 | 5.41 |
Sindh | 2.43 | 2.95 | 3.48 | 4.79 | 5.19 | 5.51 | 5.35 | 5.05 |
Pakistan | 2.28 | 2.77 | 3.27 | 4.51 | 4.68 | 4.85 | 5.09 | 5.16 |
Pakistan literacy rate is lower than other neighbours of it in South Asia at 62.8 percent. The second lowest in South Asia after Afghanistan which has 37% The male literacy rate is 73 percent and the female literacy rate is 52.84 percent. The female literacy rate drops to twenty-five percent in rural areas of Pakistan including Waziristan and Tharparkur . Girls' school enrollment also significantly drops in the rural areas of Pakistan. The enrollment rate for girls in rural areas is only twenty percent in grade school. Sixty-five percent of Pakistan's population is made up of rural citizens. Citizens in Pakistan face issues that affect their quality of life. Issues such as illiteracy are linked to poverty and lack of basic needs. Feudalism and patriarchy leadership has kept females especially from receiving adequate education. [20]
Parents with lower literacy skills struggle to understand health recommendations that can affect the development of their children. Malnutrition is a problem for children of parents who do not have a formal education status. Uneducated parents may not know the necessary proper nutrition needed for their children to adequately grow and develop. Malnutrition is associated with mothers who are illiterate and unaware of correct feeding practices. [21] There are several factors that contribute to the low education levels in Pakistan. Among the primary catalysts are unemployment, poverty, lack of awareness, teachers' absenteeism, a scarcity of quality educational institutions, and insufficient government oversight of educational institutions. [22]
In a study published by the Research Journal of Commerce, Economics, and Social Sciences, discusses the importance of education. The study compares Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan. Education plays a huge role and is a crucial tool for overall improvement in well-being. Education helps jobs, upholds social justice and equity, social and self-awareness, and open mindedness. Education is one of the most important contribution a country can offer its citizens in the hopes of inequality and poverty. Education has a very positive effect on human life. In any society education plays such a basic role and without education we cannot imagine a life. This study found that there are many differences in culture in Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan as well as resources within the country are also very different. The data reveals that the literacy rate of Indonesia is 90%, Malaysia is 89% and Pakistan is 62.8%, which is significantly lower in compared to the other two countries. In comparison to these other two countries, Pakistan has the more poverty and inequality within its country. It only makes sense that it has the lowest literacy rate because of this. If Pakistan's literacy rates were to go up, their poverty and inequality within their country would hopefully go down, creating a better society and more beneficial country. [23]
The districts of Pakistan are the third-level administrative divisions of Pakistan, below provinces and divisions, but forming the first-tier of local government. In total, there are 166 districts in Pakistan, including the Capital Territory, and the districts of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. These districts are further divided into tehsils and union councils.
Education in Pakistan is overseen by the Federal Ministry of Education and the provincial governments, while the federal government mostly assists in curriculum development, accreditation and the financing of research and development. Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan obligates the state to provide free and compulsory quality education to children of the age group 5 to 16 years. "The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such a manner as may be determined by law". Considering the challenges confronting the youth in Pakistan, it's hardly astonishing that well-off and educated young individuals and professionals are opting to depart the country whenever they have the opportunity, exacerbating the brain drain phenomenon.
Loralai District is a district in the northeast of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The town of Loralai serves as the district headquarters.
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Attock District is a district in Pothohar Plateau of the Punjab Province of Pakistan, created in April 1903. According to 2023 Pakistani census population of Attock District is 2,133,005.
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Narowal District, located in upper punjab, is a district in the province of Punjab of Pakistan. Narowal city is the capital of the district. During the British rule, Narowal was the town of Raya Khas tehsil of Sialkot District. Narowal District formed in 1991, when the two tehsils of Narowal and Shakargarh were split off from Sialkot District.
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Naseerabad Division is an administrative division of Balochistan Province, Pakistan. It is the only Irrigation & Agricultural Division of Balochistan. The division connects Balochistan with Sindh. Naseerabad division was created by bifurcation of Sibi division in 1987. Its Divisional headquarters are at Dera Murad Jamali. CNIC Code of Naseerabad Division is 53. According to 2023 Pakistani census population of Nasirabad Division is 2,044,021.
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Women's education in Pakistan is a fundamental right of every female citizen, according to article thirty-seven of the Constitution of Pakistan, but gender discrepancies still exist in the educational sector. According to the 2011 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program, approximately twice as many males as females receive a secondary education in Pakistan, and public expenditures on education amount to only 2.7% of the GDP of the country. The unemployment rate of female graduates in Pakistan is approximately 3.8 times higher than that of their male counterparts.
Cambodia remains on the list of developing countries, despite recent economic growth. Although Cambodia is undergoing significant urbanization. Cambodia has made progress in combating poverty, and many citizens have risen just above the poverty line
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The gender gap in Pakistan refers to the differences between men and women in Pakistan in terms of social, political, and economic participation and rights. The gender gap uses the gender ratio of Pakistan to compare the disparities between men and women in different fields, which mainly disadvantage women. According to the Global Gender Gap Index 2022, Pakistan ranks second to last in terms of the Gender Gap, with only 56.4% of its gender gap closed, a 0.8 percentage point increase from 2021. By percentage, men form about 51.46% and women form about 48.54% of the total population of Pakistan. The sex ratio of Pakistan is 106.010, that means there are about 106 men for every 100 women in Pakistan. The gender gap in Pakistan includes comparisons of gender differences in health, educational, legal, economical, and political aspects.
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