According to Economic Survey 2022, the literacy rate in Pakistan is around ______ per cent?

A. 58%
B. 63%
C. 68%
D. 75%

According to Economic Survey 2022, the literacy rate in Pakistan is around 63%

Economic Survey shows the literacy rate at around 63pc. Literacy rates increased in both rural (53.7pc to 54.0pc) and urban areas (76.1pc to 77.3pc). According to the survey report, the gender gap appears to be closing over time. “Literacy rate went up in all provinces, Punjab (66.1pc to 66.3pc), Sindh (61.6pc to 61.8pc), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (52.4pc to 55.1pc) and Balochistan (53.9pc to 54.5pc),” read the survey.

While highlighting the literacy rate, the survey said that during 2021-22, the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement survey was not conducted due to the upcoming Population and Housing Census 2022.

Therefore, the survey stated that figures for the latest available survey regarding Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) and Net Enrolment Rate (NER) may be considered for the analysis.

“However, according to the Labour Force Survey 2020-21, literacy rate trends show 62.8pc in 2020-21 (as compared to 62.4pc in 2018-19), more in males (from 73.0pc to 73.4pc) than females (from 51.5pc to 51.9pc),” read the survey.

Pakistan GDP on Education 2022

The Economic Survey of Pakistan 2021-22 has pointed out that only 1.77 per cent of GDP was spent on the education sector last year while the literacy rate was recorded at 63pc. “Cumulative education expenditures by federal and provincial governments in FY2021 remained at 1.77pc of GDP. However, Economic Survey 2022 shows the literacy rate at around 63%.

Other Nations GDP on Education 2022

Norway and Chile reported the highest total expenditures on education institutions as a percentage of GDP (both 6.6 percent), followed by Israel and New Zealand (both 6.2 percent), the United Kingdom (6.1 per cent), and the United States (6.0 percent). Brazil, a much richer country than Pakistan, spends about six per cent of its GDP on education. Kenya spends 5.1pc of its GDP on education.

However, Pakistan continues to spend only about 2pc of its GDP on education. It has one of the biggest populations of out-of-school children in the world. Education quality standards remain quite insufficient for most of the children who do end up being in school in what has been termed ‘learning poverty’ in the relevant literature. And we are still dealing with issues of access, dropout, and gender disparity.

Moreover, the last few years, even inclusive of the hoopla around the launch and implementation of the Single National Curriculum (SNC), have not seen any large-scale reform efforts from educational authorities in the provinces or at the federal level.

Source: DAWN NEWS