Islamabad: Pakistan remains at the bottom in literacy rates among South Asian countries. According to a review by the Free and Fair Election Network, only 63 percent of the population aged 10 years and above is literate in the country.
The review is based on official data from Pakistan’s Social and Living Standards Measurement – Household Integrated Economic Survey 2024–25 and compares it with World Bank literacy data from other countries in the region. As reported by the Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune, Pakistan’s literacy rate rose from 60 percent in 2018–19 to 63 percent in 2024–25, showing an increase of just three percentage points over nearly six years.
Analysts have described this pace of literacy improvement in a country with a population of over 240 million as “worryingly slow.” The Free and Fair Election Network’s report also highlights deep disparities in literacy between genders and provinces. The male literacy rate stands at 73 percent, while female literacy remains stuck at 54 percent.
Provincially, Punjab has the highest literacy rate at 68 percent. Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa both record 58 percent, whereas Balochistan shows the lowest literacy rate at only 49 percent.
The report states that the literacy rate among youth aged 15 to 24 years is 77 percent, but it drops to 60 percent for adults aged 15 years and above. This indicates that lack of education and skills among older age groups continues to be a major challenge. The Free and Fair Election Network considers a person literate if they can read and understand a simple sentence and write a basic sentence.
Meanwhile, a Gallup Pakistan survey released in January revealed that it is becoming increasingly difficult for people in Pakistan to afford food and education expenses. Local media report a significant shift in household expenditure patterns over the past 20 years, with more spending now going towards fixed living costs rather than food.
Data from the Household Integrated Economic Survey shows that between 2005 and 2025, the share of food expenditure in total household spending decreased from 43 percent to 37 percent. During the same period, expenses on housing and utilities rose from 15 percent to nearly 25 percent of the total budget, according to an editorial in The News International.
Gallup’s analysis suggests that due to weak real incomes and signs of reduced food quantity, this trend indicates households are cutting back on food to cover the rising costs of expensive housing and utilities, not because food prices have dropped.
The 2024–25 survey also notes that the number of people facing moderate to severe food insecurity has increased from one-sixth to one-fourth of the population since 2018–19. This raises serious concerns about current living conditions and future prospects in Pakistan.
Additionally, the Institute of Social and Policy Sciences’ 15th annual report on ‘Public Financing of Education’ reveals that for the first time in Pakistan’s history, a major share of total education expenditure is being borne by families. Out of the total education spending of 5.03 trillion Pakistani rupees, 2.8 trillion rupees come from household expenses, while the public sector contributes 2.23 trillion rupees.
Household expenses include 1.31 trillion rupees for private school fees, 613 billion rupees on tuition and shadow education, and 878 billion rupees on other costs. This inequality has emerged as people increasingly prefer private education for their children due to the weaknesses in the government education system.
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