ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s university enrollment has significantly declined, with a loss of approximately 262,000 students, marking an 11.8% fall from its peak of 2.23 million in 2020-21 to an estimated 1.96 million in 2024-25.

According to data from the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025, the decline follows a decade of rapid expansion in higher education. Enrollment grew from 1.30 million in 2014-15 to 2.23 million by 2020-21, supported by increased higher education capacity, new campuses, and improved access to university education. However, this growth trend has reversed, with enrollment dropping to 1.94 million in 2022-23 before a slight recovery to an estimated 1.96 million in 2024-25.

The decline comes amid a period of economic uncertainty, characterized by high inflation, rising education costs, currency depreciation, and increased outward migration. While Pakistan’s focus was on expanding access to higher education over the past decade, the emerging challenge now includes maintaining student participation and ensuring that university education leads to viable economic opportunities for graduates.

The shifting policy debate now centers on how effectively higher education can connect students with economic opportunities, rather than the number of university seats available. This analysis was conducted and released by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International, drawing on data from the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025, which details university enrollment trends from 2014-15 to 2024-25.