Currently, 25.02 million children in Pakistan do not go to schools, says new report by Alif Ailaan.

10 alarming statistics about Pakistan’s out-of-school children

Currently, there are 25.02 million children in Pakistan who do not go to schools, says report by Alif Ailaan.
Published October 21, 2014

The Constitution of Pakistan states that every child has the right to free and compulsory education, yet millions of children in the country remain deprived of their Constitutional right, says a new report by Alif Ailaan, a local alliance for education reform.

The report titled “25 Million Broken Promises” says that there are currently 25.02 million boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 16 who are not in school.

“What’s worse, the proportion of out-of-school children (OOSC) increases as the level of education rises so that by the higher-secondary level almost 85% are not in school,” the report reveals.

Below are 10 alarming statistics about the education crisis in Pakistan, as highlighted in the report.


1: In relative terms, most out-of-school children are in Balochistan


2: More than half of the country’s out-of-school children live in Punjab


3: Across the country, it is harder for girls to go to school


4: Girls make up more than half of all out-of-school children


5: A majority of girls’ parents do not allow them to study, while boys are mostly not willing to go to schools


6: Older children are more likely to be out-of-school


7: Around 70% of children out-of-school have never been to a school


8: Girls mostly drop out of school to help with work


9: Children from poor families far more likely to be out of school


10: The education system is unable to retain enrolled students

Source: Alif Ailaan