Pakistan
Background Information
Region
South Asia
World Bank income group
Lower middle income
Percent of population aged 10-24
32% (UNFPA, 2023)
Total primary school age population (both sexes)
28,873,805 (UIS, 2023)
Total secondary school age population (both sexes)
38,158,115 (UIS, 2023)
Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 18 (% of women aged 20-24)
18%
Source: UNSDG , 2018
Adolescent birth rate (per 1,000 women ages 15-19)
54
Source: UN Human Development Reports , 2018
Percentage of women who ever experienced physical violence since age 15 (% of women 15-49)
28%
Source: DHS , 2018
Percentage of married women employed in the last 12 months (% of married or in-union women 15-49)
19%
Source: DHS , 2018
Education Snapshot Back to Top
Number of years of free primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks (Years)
12
Source: UIS , 2022
Percentage of upper secondary schools providing life skills-based HIV and sexuality education within the formal curriculum or as part of extra-curricular activities
No data available
Proportion of schools with access to single-sex basic sanitation facilities Percentage of schools
-
Primary 50%
(2021)
-
Lower secondary 30%
(2021)
-
Upper secondary 39%
(2021)
Source: UIS
Women as a percentage of teachers in tertiary education
No data available
Men as a percentage of teachers in pre-primary education
No data available
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure % GDP spent on education
Source: UIS , 2022
Gender parity index for achievement in mathematics, by education level (ratio)
Source: Varied , 2016
Gender parity index for achievement in reading, by education level (ratio)
Source: Varied , 2016
Proportion of students at the end of primary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading
-
Female 54%
-
Male 51%
Female: UIS, 2016
Male: UIS, 2016
Proportion of students at the end of primary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in mathematics
-
Female 8%
-
Male 8%
Female: UIS, 2019
Male: UIS, 2019
Experiencing bullying in the last 12 months in lower secondary education
No data available
Youth not in education, employment or training
-
Female 56%
-
Male 14%
Female: ILO, 2021
Male: ILO, 2021
Completion rate
Primary school age
-
Female 55%
-
Male 64%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Lower secondary school age
-
Female 45%
-
Male 55%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Upper secondary school age
-
Female 23%
-
Male 24%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Out-of-school rate
Primary school
-
Female 27%
-
Male 19%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Lower secondary school
-
Female 32%
-
Male 22%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Upper secondary school
-
Female 54%
-
Male 38%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Legal Frameworks Back to Top
Presence of legislation on child protection, to prevent corporal punishment in schools
1
No protection from violence in educational institutions
Source: HerAtlas , 2019
Presence of legislation protecting the right to education without discrimination based on sex/gender
1
Does not enshrine right to education
Source: HerAtlas , 2019
Presence of legislation to protect and facilitate education of pregnant adolescent girls
2
No explicit protection of the right to education of pregnant and parenting girls
Source: HerAtlas , 2019
Existence of processes to support coordinated action on gender equality in and through education by ministries, civil society, youth organizations and other actors
Data coming soon!
Existence of systematic processes to review and update curricula and learning resources, with a view to eradicating gender stereotypes and promoting gender equality
Data coming soon!
Training on gender-responsive pedagogies is embedded in teacher training programmes
Data coming soon!
Programs Back to Top
Research Project/Report/Study
Adolescent Girls’ Voices on Enhancing their own Productivity
Network/Convening/Conference
Asia Pacific Region National Education Coalitions COVID-19 Zoom Conference
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Australia Awards Scholarships
Network/Convening/Conference
Better Life, Better Future
Project/Program
Broad Class Listen to Learn Interactive Radio Instruction Program
Project/Program
Closing the Gap
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
COVID-19 Initiative: Objectives to address the Immediate and Long-term Implications of the Pandemic on Girls' Education
Research Project/Report/Study
COVID-19 in Pakistan: A Phone Survey to Assess Education, Economic, and Health-Related Outcomes
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Creating Pathways for the Educational Success of Girls
Project/Program
Curriculum for Accelerated Learning Programme
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Data and Research in Education (DARE) programme
Research Project/Report/Study
DeliverED Initiative
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Education and Training
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Education Out Loud (EOL)
Advocacy Campaign/Project
Enough
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Girl Programme
Project/Program
Girls’ Education Programme
Project/Program
GIRLS Inspire project
Network/Convening/Conference
Her Choice
Advocacy Campaign/Project
Keeping Girls in School
Project/Program
LitClub
Project/Program
More Than Brides Alliance: Marriage: No Child's Play
Research Project/Report/Study
Partnership for Research on Progress and Resilience in Education (PREPARE)
Research Project/Report/Study
Programmatic approaches to the gender-related impacts of COVID-19 on education: Lessons from 2020
Project/Program
Punjab Education Support Programme II
Research Project/Report/Study
Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE)
Project/Program
Sindh Education Non-State Actors programme (SENSA)
Research Project/Report/Study
Strengthening Monitoring and Reporting of Attacks on Education
Project/Program
taxila vocational training centre
Project/Program
taxila vocational training centre
Project/Program
Teach and Educate Adolescent Girls with Community Help (TEACH)
Project/Program
Tine Girls Model School Project
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
UNESCO Malala Fund for Girls’ Right to Education
Research Project/Report/Study
Who Is Going Back to School? A Four-Country Rapid Survey in Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan
Government Programs Back to Top
Advocacy Campaign/Project
UNICEF Pakistan Country Programme 2018-2022
Project/Program
Literacy Boost
Project/Program
Adult & Adolecents Learning & Training Program
Project/Program
Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP), Pakistan
Project/Program
Third Punjab Education Sector Project for Pakistan
Project/Program
Pakistan Girl Guides Association
Project/Program
USAID Pakistan Gender Equality
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Pakistan: Expanding equal access to learning during coronavirus
Network/Convening/Conference
Agreement Between PAGE & FDE for Interventions to Promote Girls Education, Leadership and Careers
Project/Program
Balochistan Education Project
Project/Program
Pakistan’s National Cash Transfer Programme, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)
Project/Program
Mobile Learning Facilities
Project/Program
Champion Clubs in Balochistan Schools
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Higher Education Development in Pakistan
Project/Program
Interim Support to Education in North West Frontier Province
Project/Program
Punjab Education Sector Programme (PESP) II
Advocacy Campaign/Project
Girls Learn Women Earn
Advocacy Campaign/Project
Alternate Learning Pathways (ALP) Programme
Project/Program
Waseela-e-Taleem
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
GPE and COVID-19
Project/Program
STEAM Pakistan
Project/Program
Girls' Right to Education Programme in Pakistan: Support to National Capacity Building to Realize Girls' Right to Education Programme in Pakistan
Project/Program
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Education Sector Programme