Only 12% of individuals have a bank account in Pakistan, the literacy rate has increased from 61 to 63%.
Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal launches the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024-25 at a ceremony organized by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in Islamabad on Thursday, January 1, 2026. Photo: PID.
The number of out-of-school children has decreased slightly, falling below three in ten, thanks to the efforts of three provinces, except the Punjab government. However, food insecurity has increased significantly this year, reveals an official survey released Thursday.
According to the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES), the proportion of children out of school remains a concern at 28% nationally. Rural girls, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan, face the highest rates of exclusion, while Punjab performed the best and Balochistan the worst, despite recent improvement.
Although the survey did not give an absolute figure, the number of out-of-school children fell from 25.3 million to 20 million compared to the school-age population figure reported in the 2023 census.
The survey was conducted from September 2024 to June 2025, after an interval of six years. The last report was published in 2019. It was finalized thanks to the impetus of the International Monetary Fund.
Education
There are inequalities in access to education in various parts of the country, but the proportion of children out of school has fallen from 30% to 28%, according to the report. Details showed that one in four boys remains out of school, while the ratio is almost one in three for girls.
It showed that the Punjab government could not depict any progress in enrolling out-of-school children and its ratio remained unchanged at 21%. However, this is the lowest ratio among all the provinces, but it remains constant compared to the last survey.
In Sindh, the rate of out-of-school children increased from 42% to 39%. The KP government “reduced its out-of-school rate from 31% to 28%,” according to the report released by Ahsan Iqbal.
In Balochistan, the rate of out-of-school children decreased from 59% to 45%, the maximum reduction in all provinces.
After the Digital Census, Digital Agricultural Census and Pakistan Economic Survey, the Ministry of Planning has launched the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024-2025 – another major step in Pakistan’s transition towards evidence-based policymaking.… pic.twitter.com/ejeC2ZsUGU
– Ministry of Planning and Development (@PlanComPakistan) January 1, 2026
Out of 28%, up to 20% of children never went to school, while the remaining 8% first attended school and then dropped out, according to the survey. Among those who left school, four out of ten boys were unable to continue their studies because they had to take odd jobs to help the family or because education was “too expensive”. Girls often leave due to financial constraints, refusal or family restrictions.
Pakistan’s education system showed slight overall improvement, with the proportion of individuals aged 10 and above having ever attended school increasing from 61% to 67% and the literacy rate from 60% to 63%, the results showed. However, significant disparities persist, as male school attendance and literacy remain higher than females and urban areas outperform rural areas.
The marginal improvement in social indicators is not satisfactory and Pakistan cannot grow with a literacy rate of 63%, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said.
Food insecurity
The survey describes the impact of high inflation and low economic growth in recent years on the population’s standard of living.
According to the survey, in Pakistan, around a quarter of households face moderate or severe food insecurity, with marked disparities across provinces and income groups. Vulnerability remains highest in Balochistan and Sindh, while the lowest income quintile faces almost five times higher risk than the highest quintile, the findings show.
Food insecurity has increased significantly in Punjab, from 14.4% to 22.6%, and severe food insecurity has almost doubled in six years. Food insecurity in KP has also increased from 16.7% to 21.5% in six years. The situation was more alarming in Balochistan where food insecurity doubled to over 30%, while in Sindh it increased from 10% to 29%.
Connectivity
Despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s aim of having a digital Pakistan, the survey results showed that the country is far behind in terms of connectivity indicators. “Barriers to Internet access persist, including affordability, quality of service, and lack of perceived need, particularly in rural areas,” the report said. Mobile phone usage also declined, from 91% to 83%.
Digital financial inclusion was measured for the first time, revealing that only 12% of individuals have a bank account and 9% use mobile money services, while 76% do not have a financial account, the survey shows.
At the household level, access to mobiles and smartphones increased to 96%, while internet connectivity also increased from 34% to 69%. But ownership of computing devices like laptops and desktops has halved, to just 7 percent.
Meanwhile, information and communication skills remain at the basic level of messaging and copy-paste, but advanced digital skills remain limited, particularly among women, the survey reveals.
Well-being of the population
The infant mortality rate is also falling and fell from 60 to 47 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the national mortality rate fell from 41 to 35, the survey showed. There was also an improvement in the availability of water within the premises, which increased from 74% to 79%.
