Pakistan Better than India in Literacy, Worse in Child Mortality

The UNFPA report shows that literacy ratio in Pakistan’s male population of age group above 15 years stands at 32% as against India’s 23% while for the female population of the same age the literacy ratio in Pakistan is 60% against India’s 45%. These figures also reveal the rather unexpected finding of greater literacy rate in female population of the two countries.

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In terms of enrolment of children at primary level schools, however, Pakistan lags behind India; for Pakistan, the gross primary enrolment ratio for male children is 101 male and 83 female children. In India, the figures are 114 male 109 female children. Of these, more children continue their studies above grade 5 in Pakistan than India.

At the same time, Pakistan has greater child mortality rate than India. Of every 1000 children born in Pakistan, 62 do not survive at birth while in India 53 children die during birth. However, more women die in India during childbirth. The maternal mortality ratio in Pakistan is 320 of every 100, 000 births while in India the figures stand at 450 per 100, 000 births.