A recently released government-commissioned survey has highlighted wide disparities in access to education, health, and basic civic services across Pakistan’s provinces, with Punjab emerging as relatively better positioned while Sindh and Balochistan continue to lag behind on several key human development indicators. The findings are drawn from the Household Integrated Economic Survey 2024–25, conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, which marks the first time the nationwide survey has been carried out using digital data collection methods.
Conducted every five years, the survey provides a comprehensive snapshot of household-level social and economic conditions. According to the latest data, the overall literacy rate among Pakistanis aged ten years and above stands at 63 percent. Punjab recorded the highest literacy rate at 68 percent, reflecting stronger access to education infrastructure and outcomes. Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa both reported literacy rates of 58 percent, while Balochistan ranked lowest at 49 percent, underscoring persistent structural challenges in the province’s education sector.
The survey also revealed stark differences in school participation. Balochistan reported the highest proportion of out-of-school children aged five to sixteen, with 45 percent of children not attending school. Sindh followed with 39 percent, while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa reported 28 percent. Punjab again performed comparatively better, with 21 percent of children in this age group out of school. These figures highlight enduring regional inequalities in access to schooling, despite increased public spending over recent years.
Health-related indicators showed a similar pattern. Childhood immunisation coverage was highest in Punjab, where 79 percent of children received complete vaccinations after birth. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa followed at 69 percent, while Sindh recorded 66 percent. Balochistan remained at the lower end, with only 54 percent of children receiving full immunisation, raising concerns about preventable disease risks in the province.
At the national level, the survey reported a neonatal mortality rate of 35 percent and an infant mortality rate of 47 percent. A significant share of these deaths occurred in rural areas, where the rate stood at 50 percent, compared to 42 percent in urban centres. The survey did not provide a province-wise breakdown for neonatal and infant mortality, but the rural-urban gap points to uneven access to healthcare services and maternal support systems.
Sanitation and drinking water access emerged as another area of concern, particularly in Sindh. According to the survey, 14 percent of households in Sindh lack toilet facilities, the highest among all provinces. Balochistan followed at 12 percent, while Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa each reported only five percent of households without toilets. Sindh was also the only province where a relatively higher proportion of rural residents continue to rely on hand pumps for drinking water.
Data showed that 34 percent of people in Sindh use hand pumps and 14 percent use motor pumps. In rural Punjab, 20 percent rely on hand pumps, while 43 percent use motor pumps. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa showed a similar pattern, with 12 percent using hand pumps and 42 percent using motor pumps. In Balochistan, 8 percent of residents reported using hand pumps and 21 percent motor pumps for drinking water.
Commenting on the findings, Taj Mari, President of the National Party in Sindh and a former ruling party leader in Balochistan, described the state of basic facilities in Sindh as unacceptable. He pointed out that following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, provincial governments received greater fiscal resources, yet the improvements in health, education, and essential services remain limited. According to Mari, corruption and non-merit-based recruitment practices continue to undermine service delivery, with many government jobs still awarded through political recommendations.
Addressing the reliance on hand pumps in rural Sindh, Mari said that such installations are often used as symbolic political gestures rather than practical solutions. He cited examples from his native Sanghar district, where hand pumps were installed despite the absence of underground sweet water, rendering them ineffective.
Efforts by the media to obtain a response from the Sindh Chief Minister’s spokesperson, Abdul Rasheed Channa, did not yield any reply, despite a questionnaire being sent via WhatsApp. The digitally conducted survey’s findings have reignited debate over governance, resource utilisation, and the role of technology-driven data in shaping evidence-based policy decisions across Pakistan’s provinces.
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