The literacy rate in Pakistan is approximately 58%, with significant regional and gender disparities. Literacy rates are higher in urban areas and among males. While literacy rates have increased over time, Pakistan is still lagging behind its neighbors and has failed to meet targets set in the Millennium Development Goals. Barriers to improving literacy include poverty, gender discrimination, lack of government investment in education, population growth, and weak implementation of literacy programs. Raising literacy will require universal primary education, non-formal education programs, community involvement, and strong political will to prioritize education.

1. LITERACY RATE IN PAKISTAN
Asma Shaikh
Sana Javed
Tehmina Adil

2. ◦ “Develop a sound sense of discipline, character,
initiative and a solid academic background. You
must devote yourself whole-heartedly to your
studies, for that is your first obligation to
yourselves, your parents and to the State. You
must learn to obey for only then you can learn
to command.”
Quaid-e-Azam addressing the students at Islamic College,
1948

3. Literacy is an important indicator of
education.

4. Why literacy is our concern?
◦ Literacy is very effective and important parameter of
measuring social development of a society. Literacy is
also the ground reason for many other social problems
such as crime rate, political unawareness and terrorism.

5. Education in Pakistan
◦ Education in Pakistan is overseen by the Federal Ministry of Education and the
provincial governments.
◦ Article 25-A of 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".
◦ According to Article 37-B of the Constitution, State shall be responsible for
‘eradication of illiteracy and provision of free and compulsory education up to
secondary level, within minimum possible time’.
◦ Education has become a privilege, rather than a right.

6. The Millennium Development Goals
The MDGs were adopted in 2000 by governments to make global
progress on poverty, education, health, hunger and the environment.
The MDGs expired at the end of 2015. . The MDG targets come from
the Millennium Declaration signed by 189 countries, including 147
heads of state and government in September 2000. The MDGs have
officially ended in 2015, but MDGs acceleration framework will
continue till 2018.

7. Pakistan has committed to all the
International declaration to extend the
agenda of providing the basic right of
education to all of its citizens.

8. Indicators MDG TARGET % Current Status In
Pakistan %
Literacy Rate 88 57
Pakistan will miss each of its Millennium
Development Goals In Education(MDGs)

9. Sustainable Development Goals
During 25-27 September 2015, the member states of the
United Nations converged in New York for the United Nations
(UN) Summit on Sustainable Development and adopted the
new global goals for sustainable development. The world
leaders pledged their commitment to the new ‘2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development’, encompassing 17 universal and
transformative SD.Gs

10. Six EFA Goals to be Achieved by 2015
◦ ECCE: Expanding early childhood care and education
◦ UPE: Universal primary education; Free and compulsory primary
education for all
◦ Continuing Education: Learning and life skills programs for young
and adults
◦ Literacy: 50% increase in literacy rates
◦ Gender: Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary by
2005, and
◦ gender equality in education by 2015
◦ Quality: Improving quality of education

13. ◦ The literacy rate in Pakistan is divided into three regions that is
in cities, villages and tribal areas.
◦ There are exceptional cases where the literacy rate is very high;
for example, in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi. In these cities,
the literacy rate is almost 75%.
◦ In tribal areas the literacy rate can be as low as 9%,
particularly because females are not allowed to attend school.

14. Urban and Rural Literacy Rate. (Percent)
Province 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
National 70 47 58 70 49 60 70 48 58
Rural 63 36 49 63 38 51 63 36 49
Urban 81 66 74 82 69 76 81 68 74
Punjab 71 52 61 71 59 63 72 54 62
Rural 65 43 53 65 45 55 66 44 55
Urban 82 71 76 82 73 77 82 73 77
Sindh 67 43 56 70 49 60 67 44 55
Rural 53 21 37 55 24 40 51 19 36
Urban 80 63 72 82 70 76 80 65 73
KPK 72 36 53 71 35 53 72 36 53
Rural 70 32 49 69 31 50 70 33 50
Urban 81 55 68 80 52 66 77 52 64
Balochistan 59 25 43 61 25 44 56 24 41
Rural 54 17 36 54 17 38 48 15 33
Urban 74 45 59 78 42 61 76 44 61

15. Urban-Rural Divide
◦The data shows that
literacy rate is higher in
urban areas (76 percent)
than in rural areas (51
percent).

16. ◦ In the period 2000-2004, the Pakistanis in the age group 55-64
was the literacy rate of almost 30% of persons aged 45-54 were
the literacy rate of about40% of those between 25-34 were literate
50% while those aged 15-24 were literate in more than 60%.
◦ These data show that with each generation, literacy rate in
Pakistan has increased by about 10%.
◦ English is rapidly spreading in Pakistan, with 18 million Pakistanis
(11% of the population), which has command over the English
language that makes it 9-ranked English speaking nation world
and third largest in Asia.

18. Youth literacy Rate 2013-2016 by province
and gender.
Population 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
National 70% 47% 58% 70% 49% 60% 70% 48% 58%
Sindh 67% 43% 56% 70% 49% 60% 67% 44% 55%
Punjab 71% 52% 61% 71% 55% 63% 72% 54% 62%
KPK 72% 36% 53% 71% 35% 53% 72% 36% 53%
Balochistan 59% 25% 43% 61% 25% 44% 56% 24% 41%

19. Province wise data suggests that Punjab leads with 63
percent followed by Sindh with 60 percent, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa with 53 percent and Baluchistan with 44
percent.

20. Pakistan's literacy rate from 1952 to 2014 in
percentages

21. Historical literacy rates in Pakistan.
In 1950, the rate was 16.40% and it was 16.30% in
1961. It increased in 1972, with a total rate of
21.70%, including urban and rural areas. It was
26.30% in 1981, with urban areas 47.10% and rural
areas 17.30%. In 1998, the total was 43.90%, with
rates of urban and rural areas of 63.08% and
33.64%. In 2004 and 2009, it was 54% and 57%,
including urban and rural areas, and in 2012, it was
57%, the same as in 2014.

22. Province-wise literacy rate of Pakistan

24. Youth Literacy Rate in Comparison to
Neighbouring Countries
Pakistan's youth literacy rate is
71%, India's youth literacy rate
is 90.20%, the youth literacy
rate of Bangladesh is 68%. In
Nepal, the youth literacy rate is
61%. The youth literacy rate of
Bhutan is 74%.
Lagging behind neighbours.

25. Reasons for Low Literacy Rate
◦ Poverty: Economic causes are greatly affecting the literacy rate of Pakistan.
Pakistanis a developing country where 38% people are living beneath the poverty
line.
◦ Lack of awareness
◦ Gender discrimination: Pakistan has large proportion of female population which
remains uneducated and thus has a serious impact on overall view of country’s
literacy profile.
◦ Government’s mismanagement: Pakistan counts among those 12 countries of the
world which spend less than 2.4pc of the GDP on education. There are thousands
of “Ghost schools” which only exist on paper and the local bureaucrats pocket its
budgets

26. ◦ Population Growth: The population explosion is one reason we are
not enable to catch the targets.
◦ Feudal Lords: The feudal system is a big obstacle in the way of
universal literacy.

27. The Road blocks
COMMITMENT GAP: Lack of Political Will – funds were sanctioned but politicians could not provide
leadership – politicization of literacy projects
POLICY GAP: A clear and strong policy on Literacy and NFBE has been missing: Lack of
administrative will – open and disguised opposition to Literacy & NFBE(Non-Formal Basic
Education) by the traditional planners.
ORGANIZATIONAL GAP: Absence of permanent organizational structure – led to coordination gap
FINANCIAL RESOURCES GAP: limited financial assistance, and uncertainty about funding
TECHNICAL CAPACITY GAP: ‘islands of excellence’ but weak professional base /Lack of continuity
of experience/independent research and evaluation studies.

28. Social stability jeopardized…
A cursory look at recent history reveals that a bourgeoning
population unequipped for the job market is the surest recipe for
social upheaval. An illiterate population is by definition
unequipped for the modern job market – and increasingly so.
Fighting illiteracy is therefore Pakistan’s only option to ensure
social stability.

29. RAISING THE LITERACY RATE
Countries have succeeded in raising their literacy rates by taking
the following steps:
◦ Universalization of primary education.
◦ Providing non-formal primary education facilities for out of
school youth and dropouts.
◦ Launching countrywide programs for adults backed by political
leadership.
◦ Broad involvement of various social groups, institutions, public
and voluntary organizations etc.

30. NFBE (Non-Formal Basic Education)
NFBE – targets those unfortunate children and youth who have either no access to
formal primary schools, or have missed the chance to enroll at the appropriate
time. NFBE Centers cater to the learning needs of out of school children and youth
through cost effective and flexible approaches. Instead of waiting for establishment
of a formal primary school and construction of a proper building, classes are
organized in a place provided by the local community, and a locally available
educated person is assigned the responsibility of teaching. Curriculum is equivalent
to primary level and those who complete the course are mainstreamed or allowed
to enroll at Elementary or Middle level. In fact, it is an alternate form of schooling,
and offers a second chance to those who missed to enroll or dropped out earlier. In
many instances learners are able to complete 5 year primary school curriculum in a
reduced period of 3 years.

31. Enrollments, Teachers and Educational Institutions
◦ The total number of enrollments at national level during 2015-16 stood at 46.223
million as compared to 43.948 million during 2014-15. This shows an increase of
5.2 percent and it is estimated to increase to 47.834 million during 2016-17.
◦ The total number of institutes stood at 252.8 thousand during 2015-16 as
compared to 252.6 thousand during last year. However, the number of institutes is
estimated to increase to 257.1 thousand during 2016-17.
◦ The total number of teachers during 2015-16 was 1.630 million as compared to
1.588 million during last year showing an increase of 2.6 percent. This number of
teachers is estimated to increase further to 1.667 million during the year 2016.

32. Literacy is a major indicator of economic development of countries where
illiteracy has slowed down socio-economic growth. Recently, many nations
have managed to reach a 100% literacy rate and now successfully
compete in the global economy. In Pakistan, the literacy rate is far from
satisfactory and compares unfavorably with many world nations. Pakistan's
government should make serious efforts to improve the country's literacy
rate. It is only education which can turn a burden of population into
productive human resource