DESPITE their scale, out-of-school adolescents and youth (OOSAY) are the most overlooked demographic, remaining largely invisible in policy discourse and programmatic prioritisation. Census 2023 data shows that a whopping 63 per cent of Pakistan’s youth population and 23pc of adolescent population have never received any formal education. Gender disparities are stark, with nearly three-quarters of women aged 15-29 having never enrolled in school, compared to about one-half of men.
These figures reflect more than just statistical gaps; they capture the lived realities of a majority of young people who experience early and sustained exclusion from proper education, leading to marginalisation on multiple fronts, including alternative learning opportunities, decent employment, health access and civic engagement.
Their concentration in the informal economy limits the availability of timely and reliable data, constraining evidence-based, targeted responses to support their reintegration. Moreover, policy frameworks routinely collapse OOSAY into broader youth categories, assuming exposure to formal schooling that many never had. This effectively renders them excluded from the very support intended for them.
SDPI, in collaboration with UNFPA conducted a mixed-methods ‘needs assessment’ of OOSAY across KP and Punjab. The aim was to understand the kind of support OOSAY themselves say they need to support their reintegration across four key domains: education, employment, health, and engagement.
Out-of-school adolescents and youth should be recognised as a distinct demographic.
Results from the study show that across both provinces, financial barriers are the most binding in hindering school access, impacting nearly three out of four respondents. These are compounded by responsibilities at home or work, gender norms, unavailability of schools, long commutes, lack of transportation, risk of harassment, and early marriage, all of them particularly restrictive for girls.
The impacts of being out-of-school are largely gendered, with boys often forced into early, low-skill, physically strenuous labour. In the sample, nearly two-thirds of male OOSAY said they felt pressured to economically support themselves and their families, leading to child labour. On the other hand, girls are expected to shoulder the burden of household responsibilities and unpaid care work. Findings show that 85.4pc of female OOSAY spend their day performing domestic chores and unpaid caregiving activities, limiting their availability for schooling, skills training, or paid work. Many girls are also forced into early marriage. In our sample, the median age of marriage for female OOSAY was 18 years, indicating that nearly half had been married at or below the minimum legal age of marriage.
The consequences of exclusion from education spill into the labour market, with nearly three-quarters of OOSAY lacking access to paid work, including an overwhelming 95pc of female respondents. Job opportunities are extremely limited, informal, and unstable, with nearly half of working respondents earning less than Rs25,000 per month despite working 12-15-hour-long shifts. This is even below the minimum wage rate.
Forty-two per cent of working OOSAY rely on daily wages with no job security, stability, or benefits. Workplaces lack safety, supervision, or opportunities to sustainably teach technical skills that these young people can harness in the long run.
These vulnerabilities are magnified due to a lack of access to alternative learning opportunities. In the sample, more than 90pc of the respondents reported that they have never enrolled in any skills development or vocational training programme. Only about 12.6pc (mostly males) pursued informal apprenticeships, and around 15pc (mostly females) relied on home-based learning.
Health outcomes further reflect this structural neglect. Many OOSAY suffer from malnutrition, chronic body pains, and mental health issues, but are unable to access healthcare due to unaffordability, mobility barriers, and low awareness. Nearly three-fourths rely on public hospitals because of cost considerations, with many often resorting to self-medication and home-based remedies. Two out of five respondents show signs of mental distress, but only 7.2pc recognise a need for counselling due to stigma. Mental health services are extremely scarce, with only 6.1pc reporting availability in their chosen health facility. Moreover, 82.5pc of married OOSAY have never accessed sexual and reproductive health services due to stigma or unavailability of services.
It is also important to note that being out-of-school is an intergenerational phenomenon: young people without education often end up in low-paid jobs and cannot afford schooling for their own children, perpetuating a cycle of illiteracy, unstable employment, and poverty. Hence, government attention is needed to address the issue. While several existing policies target out-of-school children, their focus remains largely on re-enrolment within the school-going age bracket, overlooking the fact that many have already aged out of the system and require alternative forms of support.
Going forward, there is a need for policymakers to recognise OOSAY as a distinct demographic that requires targeted support beyond re-enrolment efforts. This requires a coordinated national and provincial strategy with clear mandates, dedicated budgets, and integrated data systems, alongside stronger enforcement of labour laws, reforms in child labour laws, and targeted poverty reduction measures.
These policy interventions must be complemented by programmatic support in the form of inclusive education planning, flexible and phased bridging and skills development pathways aligned with market demand, formalised apprenticeships, and employment or entrepreneurial support channelled through district-level youth centres. There is also a need to adopt gender-responsive models that prioritise girls’ access through safe spaces, mobility support, and community engagement. Failure to act will continue to lock millions into cycles of low productivity, poor health, and economic precarity, putting the country’s demographic dividend at risk.
The writer is a researcher at the SDPI, Islamabad. The views are the writer’s own and do not reflect the SDPI’s position.
X: @AroojWDar
Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2026
