NCRC launches 'State of Children Report 2025 in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2026) National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) unveiled three landmark initiatives in Islamabad aimed at strengthening evidence-based policymaking, accountability and child participation across Pakistan, including the State of Children in Pakistan Report 2025, the National Child Rights Integrated Dashboard, and a child-friendly version of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s Concluding Observations.

The launch ceremony was attended by Azam Nazeer Tarar as Chief Guest, alongside Pernille Ironside and senior representatives from government institutions, development partners and civil society organizations.

The state of Children in Pakistan Report 2025 marks the second annual flagship publication of the Commission and has been issued under Sections 15 and 17 of the NCRC Act, 2017.

The report provides a comprehensive evidence-based assessment of the condition of children in Pakistan under the four pillars of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child framework — survival, development, protection and participation.

Pakistan, which ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 12, 1990, is home to an estimated 115 to 116 million children under the age of 18, representing nearly 47 per cent of the country’s population. The report compiles administrative data, national and provincial surveys, stakeholder consultations and Primary information from Federal and provincial institutions to provide a standardized national overview of child rights indicators.

Chairperson NCRC Ayesha Raza Farooq said the report establishes an important national baseline for measuring progress on children’s rights in Pakistan.

“In a country as large and complex as Pakistan, the realities of children are not always visible in a unified way. Data is often fragmented, responses are uneven, and policy discussions can become disconnected from the situation on the ground,” she said.

She added that the report, the integrated dashboard and the child-friendly concluding observations collectively create a national accountability framework that combines evidence, real-time monitoring and children’s own voices.

According to the report, Pakistan recorded modest progress in child survival indicators between 2022 and 2024.

The infant mortality rate declined from 51 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 to 47 in 2024, while under-five mortality decreased to 58 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023. The report also noted significant progress in polio reduction, with confirmed cases falling from 74 in 2024 to 31 in 2025.

The report highlighted that Pakistan introduced the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for girls aged 9 to 14 in 2025, reaching nearly 71 per cent of the target population during the first nationwide rollout. However, challenges remain severe, with neonatal mortality accounting for almost two-thirds of under-five deaths, while 34 per cent of children under five continue to suffer from stunting.

In the education sector, total enrolment from pre-primary to degree level reached 47.

87 million students during 2023-24, reflecting an increase of approximately 2.2 million students compared to the previous year. The out-of-school rate for girls dropped from 42 per cent to 35 per cent, though nearly 25.15 million children aged 5 to 16 remain out of school nationwide.

The report further observed that public spending on education declined to 0.8 per cent of GDP during the first nine months of FY 2024-25, far below international benchmarks.

On child protection, the report termed the enactment of the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act and the Balochistan Child Marriages Restraint Act as landmark legal developments, setting eighteen years as the minimum age of marriage for both boys and girls.

Despite legislative progress, the report noted that an estimated 8.61 million children aged 5 to 17 remain engaged in child labour across Pakistan, while police data recorded 17,348 sexual crimes against children during 2025. The report also highlighted that Pakistan currently hosts approximately 1.98 million refugees and Afghans of other status, of whom 51 per cent are children.

The report also underscored advancements in child participation and inclusion. It cited a 2025 judgment authored by Syed Mansoor Ali Shah affirming children’s rights to be heard in decisions affecting them under the UNCRC framework.

Punjab was also recognized for inducting more than 61,000 elected student leaders across over 15,000 schools during 2025, promoting democratic participation and civic engagement among children.

The National Child Rights Integrated Dashboard, developed by the NCRC with technical support from UNICEF Pakistan?? and financial assistance from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consolidates real-time child protection data from across Pakistan into a single national platform. The system integrates information related to violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect and harmful practices against children while also digitising the NCRC’s Child Rights Complaint Management System.

Speaking at the event, Pernille Ironside said evidence-based systems and children’s participation are essential for sustainable reforms.

“When evidence, children’s voices, and strong data systems come together, they can drive meaningful and lasting change for children,” she said.

Federal Minister for Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government welcomed accountability and constructive engagement on child rights issues.

“The role of an independent statutory commission is to hold up the mirror; the role of the State is to look into it honestly,” he stated, adding that the Ministry of Human Rights would coordinate implementation of the report’s recommendations through the National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow-up in collaboration with provincial institutions and development partners.

He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to engaging with the upcoming constructive dialogue with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child scheduled for January 2026 and pledged continued support for the independence of the Commission.