Pakistan is a developing country with a GDP of over $ 410 billion. It ranks at number 42 among 218 countries having a population of over 240 million and a growth rate of 2.7 per cent as per IMF 2025. However, the GDP per capita is only $ 1707 and ranked at number 182 (36 from the bottom), but above countries like Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan.
Education is the single most important contributor towards becoming a developing nation. A nation must be able to at least read and write for it to develop socially. However, for economic growth, literacy at least at the school level is necessary, with an acquisition of some type of skill. To become a developed nation, a higher level of education becomes the most important element to acquire.
In Pakistan, a person is considered literate if they can read and understand a simple text, write a simple letter and perform basic mathematical calculations. Pakistan’s national literacy rate was reported at 60 per cent in the Economic Survey 2024-25. It means over 100 million people remain illiterate. While there has been some improvement, the rate of increase in literacy has been slow and has stagnated at times since around 2011, according to the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD). Rapid population growth, inadequate educational infrastructure, and rising poverty continue to undermine gains
In addition to high illiteracy, Pakistan faces an education crisis among school-age children, with an estimated 26 million children out of school, a number that has increased recently. More than half of these out-of-school children are girls, and over 60 per cent lack access to pre-primary education.
For those who are Matric pass (Secondary School or Grade 10), the minimum qualification required for many low-wage employment, the situation is even more alarming. Only about 20 per cent of Pakistan’s adult population holds this level of education or higher. For those with at least a bachelor’s degree, less than 10 percent are graduates.
The question, therefore, is urgent: how can Pakistan tackle these staggering numbers and rapidly advance its literacy, reduce the out-of-school population, increase university enrollment, or at the minimum increase the number of school-qualified individuals so they can be gainfully employed in the shortest possible time, with the least investment?
The answer to all above lies in digital literacy, which is not just about using technology, but about empowering people to participate in the digital economy and society
Today, in many developed countries, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies are transforming how people learn, communicate and work. The majority of citizens are already digitally literate, while numerous developing nations have integrated digital literacy into national education strategies to strengthen their workforce and competitiveness.
Pakistan must therefore redefine literacy to be ‘digital literacy’ to include the ability to access, understand, evaluate, create and responsibly use digital technologies and online resources. A digitally literate citizen should be able to read, write, learn, work and participate civically in a technology-driven environment, all while respecting the country’s linguistic, cultural and socio-economic diversity. A national shift from traditional literacy to digital literacy, if supported by both federal and provincial governments, could transform Pakistan’s social and economic landscape within a decade.
Such a transformation is entirely feasible within the country’s existing digital infrastructure. As of early 2025, Pakistan had approximately 116 million internet users. In 2022, there were around 73 million smartphone users and 72 million social media users, numbers that have likely risen sharply since then, which demonstrate that digital access has already penetrated deep into society.
An innovative and ambitious way forward for Pakistan would be to introduce a game-changing ‘Digital Literacy Matric Equivalent’ (DLME) programme, an alternate accelerated, technology-enabled pathway to a Matric-equivalent qualification designed for the most active segment of the digitally literate population aged 15 to 40. This initiative could focus on the 25 million literate adults outside the formal school system and take Pakistan way above in the literacy ladder.
The proposed DLME would combine the academic rigour of secondary school education with modern digital competencies that enhance employability, civic engagement, and lifelong learning. The total study time would be at least 1,200 instructional hours, comparable to a compacted Matric program for adult learners, delivered over at least 24 months, depending on the learner’s background and pace.
Subject areas would include Core Languages and Communication, Mathematics & Logical Reasoning, Science, Pakistan Studies & Civics, Islamiat / Ethics / Religious Studies, ICT /Applied Digital Skills, and the inclusion of at least one vocational /skill-based elective subject. A model similar to AI learning for O and A level subjects, which already exists through EdTech’s like Global Tutor, could be followed. The government could further incentivise participation by offering free or subsidised internet access to registered learners.
Each module could conclude with an online in-person assessment administered through certified centers, with grades delivered via app or SMS. Successful learners would receive a Matric-equivalent certification, recognised by the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC). Using a phased-in approach, we can achieve an adult digital literacy matric equivalent rate of 90 per cent within a decade.
To ensure coherence and speedy implementation, a Federal Task Force on Digital Literacy should be established, comprising eminent educators, technologists and policymakers, who would be responsible for developing a national roadmap, curriculum standards and quality assurance framework for digital literacy initiative.
If executed effectively and immediately, the digital literacy initiative would be Pakistan’s fastest and most inclusive path to social mobility, economic empowerment and national progress. By transforming illiteracy into digital capability, Pakistan can equip millions for productive employment, strengthen civic participation and leap into the digital future with confidence.
The writer is a former senator and former chairperson of the HEC.
