ISLAMABAD, Mar 05 (APP):Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, has officially released the “Public Financing in Education 2025–26” report.
The findings reveal a 72% overall increase in education expenditure over the past five years. However, significant disparities in per-student spending persist, ranging from PKR 22,332 in Gilgit-Baltistan to PKR 72,124 under the Federal Directorate of Education, reflecting varied fiscal capacities and administrative structures across regions.
The report recommends gradually increasing the education budget to meet the international benchmark of 4–6% of GDP. It further advocates for the introduction of gender, locality, and school-based budgeting within existing financial platforms to ensure transparency and the effective utilization of resources.
A ceremony was held at Allama Iqbal Open University on Thursday. The report was prepared by PIE in collaboration with the World Bank and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Ms Wajiha Qamar, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training, attended as the Chief Guest. Other key attendees included Additional Secretary of Education Mr. Hassan Saqlain, Director General of PIE Dr. Muhammad Shahid Soroya, and Vice Chancellor of AIOU Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood.
Addressing the ceremony, Wajiha Qamar welcomed the report, describing it as a milestone for transparency and data-driven planning in the education sector. She emphasized that the report’s findings would be instrumental in formulating long-term policies and ensuring the equitable distribution of educational resources.
Representatives from global development partners, including Mr. Salim Salamah (British High Commission), Ms. Maliha Hyder (World Bank), Ms Aurelia Ardito (UNICEF), and Dr Nishat Riaz (Malala Fund), also addressed the gathering, affirming the report’s findings. Speakers collectively stressed the need to increase education spending as a percentage of GDP, implement gender-responsive budgeting, and expand non-salary budgets without compromising salary allocations.
According to the report, education budgets showed significant growth between 2019-20 and 2025-26. In terms of percentage, the highest increases were recorded in Gilgit-Baltistan (318%) and Sindh (286%), with Sindh’s education budget rising from PKR 169 billion to PKR 654 billion. Among the larger provinces, Punjab saw a 122% increase, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s budget grew by 141%. Conversely, the federal level saw the lowest growth at 45%.
The report highlights that current tracking systems are insufficient to monitor how resources reach the 25.37 million out-of-school children, a majority of whom are girls in rural areas. It recommends a standardized budget tagging system and improved financial codes across all provinces to enable better accountability and comparative analysis. By implementing these reforms, Pakistan can optimize public expenditure to enhance educational access and quality nationwide.