LAHORE: An extensive analysis of the Punjab Health and Population Survey (PHPS) 2024-25 highlights significant disparities in educational attainment among ever-married women across Punjab’s districts. According to Gallup Pakistan’s analysis of the survey, which involved interviews with 19,536 ever-married women aged 15-49 across 36 districts, 64.7% of women possess primary or better education. However, the distribution is uneven, with Sialkot recording a high of 91% and Rajanpur a low of 20%, marking a notable 71-percentage-point gap.

The survey, part of Gallup Pakistan’s Big Data series initiated by Bilal I. Gilani, Executive Director of Gallup Pakistan, aims to utilize under-used datasets to inform policy and public discourse. The survey data reveals that 35.3% of women in Punjab have no formal education, with significant differences between urban (78.2%) and rural areas (55.1%), as well as between lagging (40.3%) and non-lagging districts (70.4%). Northern Punjab districts predominantly lead in female educational attainment, whereas southern Punjab and districts west of the Indus fall below the provincial average, with Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan recording the lowest figures.

These findings underscore the geographical divides in educational access and attainment, suggesting that factors beyond urbanization, such as economic and infrastructural characteristics, contribute to the educational deficit in certain regions. The survey also indicates that the educational disparities observed today may persist, as demonstrated by high rates of out-of-school girls in districts like Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan.