ISLAMABAD: The National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) has launched the State of Children in Pakistan Report 2025, a National Child Rights Integrated Dashboard and a child-friendly version of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child concluding observations, aiming to strengthen child protection, evidence-based policymaking and child participation across Pakistan.
The launch ceremony was held in Islamabad with Azam Nazeer Tarar attending as chief guest alongside Pernille Ironside. The initiatives are part of broader efforts to improve monitoring of children’s rights and welfare indicators nationwide.
According to the report, Pakistan has an estimated 115 to 116 million children under the age of 18, accounting for nearly 47 percent of the country’s population. The publication provides an updated assessment of child welfare indicators across health, education, protection and participation based on administrative data, national surveys and stakeholder consultations.
Child health and education indicators show mixed progress
The report noted gradual improvements in child survival indicators between 2022 and 2024. Infant mortality declined from 51 to 47 deaths per 1,000 live births, while under-five mortality dropped from 61 to 58 per 1,000 live births. Confirmed polio cases also fell significantly from 74 in 2024 to 31 in 2025.
However, the report highlighted continuing challenges, including child malnutrition, food poverty and low public health spending. Nearly 34 percent of children under five remain stunted, while public health expenditure stands at 0.9 percent of GDP.
In education, total enrolment reached 47.87 million students during 2023-24, an increase of around 2.2 million from the previous year. Despite this, approximately 25.15 million children aged 5 to 16 remain out of school across Pakistan.
Report highlights child protection concerns
The report recorded legislative developments in 2025, including child marriage restraint laws introduced in Islamabad Capital Territory and Balochistan, setting 18 years as the minimum marriage age for both boys and girls.
At the same time, the report documented ongoing child protection concerns. It estimated that 8.61 million children aged between 5 and 17 are engaged in child labour, while police records showed more than 17,000 reported sexual crimes against children in 2025.
The newly launched National Child Rights Integrated Dashboard brings together child protection data from across Pakistan into a centralised digital system. According to NCRC, the platform will support complaint tracking, case management and coordination between institutions.
NCRC Chairperson Ayesha Raza Farooq said the report and dashboard were designed to improve evidence-based policymaking and accountability regarding child rights in Pakistan.
UNICEF Representative Pernille Ironside said stronger evidence, children’s participation and effective data systems could help improve policy responses for children across the country.
Also read: NCRC Highlights Child and Minority Issues in Pakistan
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