Even after decades of policy pledges and billions in spending, Pakistan’s literacy rate inches forward, with some regions left far behind.
According to the 2023 census and Economic Survey 2024-25, the national literacy rate has recently reached about 60.7 per cent, up slightly from previous counts.
Breaking the numbers down by province, Punjab leads among the four provinces with around 66.25pc, followed by Sindh at about 57.54pc, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) at about 51.09pc, and Balochistan trailing with about 42.01pc. For Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), literacy is much higher — over 83-84pc.
Reliable, up-to-date figures for Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) are harder to pin down in recent census or survey reports. Older sources suggest AJK had, in earlier years, literacy in youth cohorts as high as 70-90pc, but more recent official data (post-2020) is not robust enough to claim precise current rates. For Gilgit-Baltistan, the estimates vary: some reports put overall literacy around 58pc in recent years, with male literacy significantly higher than female, corridors in remote valleys suffering from inadequate facilities.
Despite the millions allocated annually for education, the progress remains uneven and in many places unsatisfactory. Why? There are multiple interlocking reasons that explain why governments have repeatedly failed to significantly raise literacy in all regions.
First, funding levels and budget implementation. Although the public budget for education has been sizable numerically, as a proportion of GDP it remains low: many reports note that Pakistan spends between 1.5pc to 2pc of GDP on education, well below UNESCO recommendations of 4-6pc. Moreover, funds often arrive late, are misallocated, or get stuck in administrative bottlenecks. Local authorities sometimes lack capacity to utilise funds fully or in time. Even when infrastructure is funded, maintenance budgets are minimal, causing facilities to deteriorate swiftly.
Second, the quality of schools and teachers. In many districts, especially remote or rural ones, school buildings are unsafe or incomplete; basic amenities such as toilets, clean water, electricity are missing or intermittent. Teachers are either untrained, underqualified, or insufficient in number. In many areas female teachers are especially scarce, which can discourage families (especially conservative households) from sending girls to school.
Third, geographic, socio-economic, and cultural barriers. Poverty, child labour, early marriages, gender norms, and distance to school hamper enrolment and attendance. In rural or mountainous regions, physical access to schools is often difficult; seasonal challenges (monsoon, snow) can make travel hazardous or impossible. Families may prioritise work over schooling for children, particularly in extremely poor households. Girls often bear much of the cultural burden, with expectations around domestic duties or concerns about safety preventing consistent school attendance.
Fourth, policy inconsistency and governance issues. Education is a concurrent subject in Pakistan in many respects, so changes in government or leadership often lead to shifts in priorities. Programs launched with fanfare sometimes stall or are abandoned. There is often weak oversight, corruption, leakage of funds, lack of accountability. Revising textbook content, curricula, teacher hiring rules happen frequently, but without robust systems to ensure educational quality or outcomes.
Fifth, the gender gap and urban-rural divide. Male literacy is significantly higher than female: overall male literacy is 68pc, female 52pc. In provinces like Balochistan or remote GB districts, the gap is more severe. Urban areas boast literacy near 74pc, but rural ones much lower, 51.5pc because of all the barriers above.
Voices from the ground underscore the frustration. A schoolteacher in a remote village in Balochistan said, “Every year we get promised new teachers; again, many are posted far away but don’t show up, or are posted short-term and leave. Our students suffer.” A district education officer in KP noted, “We have the money on paper, but logistical challenges, shortage of transport, and families’ reluctance due to security or gender concerns make enrolment harder than counting zeros on spreadsheets.”
Officials tend to acknowledge these failures. As one provincial minister admitted, “We need systemic long-term investment, not just building schools. Quality, teacher training, community acceptance matter more. Without those, the infrastructure sits unused or under-utilised.”
For territories like GB and AJK, sources say that while communities are keen and proud of literacy in many centres, remote districts lag, especially for girls and secondary schooling. One AJK resident recounted: “My elder sisters dropped out after grade eight because of no female teacher, or because the school had no science labs and poor roads. We were told: send your children to the city — but the cost is prohibitive.”
In sum, Pakistan’s literacy story is not one of total failure — there has been progress. But it is a story of lost potential, of regional and gender inequalities deeply entrenched, of budgets that do not always translate into impact, and of promises that outpace performance. Without addressing the structural, cultural, administrative, and geographical barriers together, any increase in spending alone will likely continue to yield modest returns.