By Farooq Awan

Balochistan recorded the largest reduction in the proportion of out-of-school children among Pakistan's provinces, with the rate declining from 69% in 2023 to 45% in 2025.

According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, improvements in school participation have been observed across the country, with the national out-of-school children rate falling from 38% in 2023 to 28% in 2025.

According to the report, Balochistan achieved the most significant improvement during the period under review, reducing its out-of-school children rate by 24 percentage points.

All provinces and regions recorded progress in reducing the number of children outside the education system. Punjab's out-of-school children rate declined from 32% in 2023 to 24% in 2025, while Sindh's rate fell from 47% to 36%. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded a decline from 30% to 24% during the same period. The documents also report improvements recorded in Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The reduction in out-of-school children reflects progress in expanding access to education and increasing school participation. Besides, the literacy rate also reached 63% during the year under review.

With the out-of-school children rate falling from 69% to 45% between 2023 and 2025, Balochistan recorded the largest reduction among Pakistan's provinces, contributing to the nationwide decline in the number of children outside the education system.

Credit: INP-WealthPk