Pakistan’s Education Divide — more than half the population in Balochistan has never been to school, compared to about one-fifth in Islamabad.

Educational access across Pakistan still varies sharply by province.
In Balochistan, the challenge is most severe: 52% of people have never attended school, while only 25% are currently attending. This highlights the scale of educational exclusion in the province.

In Sindh, 42% have never attended school, showing that a large share of the population remains outside the education system.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sits somewhat in the middle, with 39% never having attended school, though 32% are currently attending, suggesting relatively stronger current enrollment.

The situation improves in Punjab, where 29% have never attended school, and in Islamabad (ICT) where the figure drops further to 21%.

The contrast is striking: more than half the population in Balochistan has never been to school, compared to about one-fifth in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s education challenge is therefore not just about expanding enrollment today — it is also about addressing the large legacy population that never entered school in the first place, particularly in underserved provinces.