Pakistan Literacy Rate Rises to 63%

Pakistan's national literacy rate has surpassed the 60 percent mark, reaching 63 percent over the last two years, with Punjab province leading the improvement. Punjab's literacy rate climbed from 66.25 percent to 68 percent, while Sindh saw an increase from 57.54 percent to 58 percent. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's literacy rate rose from 51.09 percent to 58 percent, and Balochistan's rate improved from 42.01 percent to approximately 49 percent, the lowest among the provinces.

In Punjab, the overall literacy rate is 68 percent, split between 75 percent men and 62 percent women. Sindh's overall literacy rate is 58 percent, made up of 68 percent men and 47 percent women. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's literacy rate stands at 58 percent, consisting of 73 percent men and 43 percent women. Balochistan's rate is 49 percent, with 61 percent men and 37 percent women.

At the provincial level, the urban literacy rate is 74 percent, against 55 percent in rural areas. The Pakistan Institute of Education and the Ministry of Education report the country has 342,547 educational institutions.