Pakistan Report Card 2025

Summary of grades and key findings across all Global Matrix indicators.

View full reports: Pakistan Short Form Report Card 2025 | Global Matrix 5.0 Pakistan Paper

Overall Grade C-
Overall Physical Activity D-

Benchmark

% of children and adolescents who meet at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day for 4 or more days per week.

Key Findings

  • 33.5% children and adolescents (5-12 years) did organized and other moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) of at least 60 minutes outside the school for more than 4 days a week.(1)
  • 15.3% of children and adolescents (9-17 years) engaged in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day for more than 4 times per week.(2)

References

  • Mushtaq MU, Gull S, Mushtaq K, Shahid U, Shad MA, Akram J. Dietary behaviors, physical activity and sedentary lifestyle associated with overweight and obesity, and their socio-demographic correlates, among Pakistani primary school children. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011;8:130. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-8-130.
  • Tanveer M, Asghar E, Badicu G, Roy N, Siener M, Tanveer U, Al-Mhanna SB, Batrakoulis A. Association of physical activity and physical education with overweight and obesity among school‐aged children and adolescents in Pakistan: an empirical cross‐sectional study. Advances in Public Health. 2024;2024(1):5095049. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5095049.
Organized Sport Participation C-

Benchmark

% of children and adolescents who participate in organized sport and/or PA programs (i.e., reporting teams, school sports, or structured programs).

Key Findings

  • 46.4% adolescents (12-16 years) participated in sports teams.(1)
  • 46% children and adolescents (9-17 years) reported playing on one or more sports teams in the last calendar year.(2)

References

  • Ali S, Tariq S, Junaid N, Tayyab MA, Abbasi F. Assessment of physical activity among school-going adolescents of ninth and tenth grade in Kamalia district, Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan. Rawal Medical Journal. 2022;47(2):470-2.
  • Tanveer M, Asghar E, Badicu G, Roy N, Siener M, Tanveer U, Al-Mhanna SB, Batrakoulis A. Association of physical activity and physical education with overweight and obesity among school‐aged children and adolescents in Pakistan: an empirical cross‐sectional study. Advances in Public Health. 2024;2024(1):5095049. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5095049.
Active Play D+

Benchmark

% of children and youth who engage in indoor and outdoor unstructured/unorganized active play at any intensity at least 1 hour per day.

Key Findings

  • 46.6% adolescents (14+ years) participate in sport activities for at least one hour per day.(1)
  • 38.7% adolescents (11-15 years) participated in outdoor activities such as walking, jogging, team sports, jumping rope, etc. for at least one hour per day.(2)
  • 32.6% children and adolescents (4-14 years) participated in physical sports and games daily for at least one hour.(3)

References

  • Deeba F, Ali N, Khan K. Effect of sports participation on academic performance of students at secondary level in government and private Schools of Quetta, Pakistan. Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2017;4(12):4517-23.
  • Mansoori N, Nisar N, Shahid N, Mubeen SM, Ahsan S. Prevalence of obesity and its risk factors among school children in Karachi, Pakistan. Trop Doct. 2018;48(4):266-269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049475518786664.
  • Qureshi S, Iqbal M, Rafiq A, Ahmed H, Malik T, Kalam MN, et al. Dietary habits and physical activity patterns in relation to nutritional status among school-aged children in Pakistan: A cross-sectional study. AIMS Public Health. 2023;10(3):553-567. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2023039.
Active Transportation C-

Benchmark

% of children and adolescents who use active transportation to get to and from places (e.g., school).

Key Findings

  • 48.2% adolescents (12-16 years) travelled to and from school by walking or by a bicycle.(1)
  • 50.4% adolescents (12-16 years) used walking and bicycling as school transport mode.(2)
  • 32.7% children and adolescents (Nursery -10th grade) used walking or cycling to/from school as a mode of transport.(3)
  • 44.04% children and adolescents (9-17 years) used walking or riding a bike to school one or more times per week.(4)

References

  • Ali S, Tariq S, Junaid N, Tayyab MA, Abbasi F. Assessment of physical activity among school-going adolescents of ninth and tenth grade in Kamalia district, Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan. Rawal Medical Journal. 2022;47(2):470-2.
  • Hadier SG, Yinghai L, Long L, Hamdani SD, Hamdani SM. Assessing physical literacy and establishing normative reference curves for 8–12-year-old children from South Punjab, Pakistan: The PAK-IPPL cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2025;20(2):e0312916. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312916.
  • Ali A, Mehry S, Raheem A, Bhatti J, Khan UR. Road safety hazards for children while commuting to school: Findings from a pilot study in Karachi, Pakistan. Injury. 2023;54:110475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2022.11.018.
  • Tanveer M, Asghar E, Badicu G, Roy N, Siener M, Tanveer U, et al. Association of physical activity and physical education with overweight and obesity among school‐aged children and adolescents in Pakistan: an empirical cross‐sectional study. Advances in Public Health. 2024;2024(1):5095049. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5095049.
Sedentary Behaviours B-

Benchmark

% of children and adolescents who meet the sedentary behaviour guidelines (no more than two hours of recreational screen time per day).

Key Findings

  • 57.8% children (3-12 years) met the recommendations.(1)
  • 50.8% adolescents (11-15 years) met the recommendations.(2)
  • 69% children and adolescents (5-16 years) were short term (<2 hours) smartphone users.(3)
  • 60.9% children and adolescents (9-17 years) met the screen time recommendations.(4)

References

  • Saleem M, Hassan A, Mahmood T, Mushtaq S. Factors associated with excessive TV viewing in school. Rawal Medical Journal. 2014; 39(3):323-6.
  • Mansoori N, Nisar N, Shahid N, Mubeen SM, Ahsan S. Prevalence of obesity and its risk factors among school children in Karachi, Pakistan. Trop Doct. 2018;48(4):266-269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049475518786664.
  • Tariq K, Tariq R, Ayesha AH, Shahid M. Effects of smartphone usage on psychological wellbeing of school going children in Lahore, Pakistan. J Pak Med Assoc. 2019;69(7):955-8.
  • Tanveer M, Cai Y, Badicu G, Asghar E, Batrakoulis A, Ardigò LP, Brand S. Associations of 24‐h movement behaviour with overweight and obesity among school‐aged children and adolescents in Pakistan: An empirical cross‐sectional study. Pediatr Obes. 2025;20(5):e13208. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.13208.
Physical Fitness INC

Benchmark

Average percentile achieved on certain physical fitness indicators based on the normative values published by Tomkinson et al.

Key Findings

  • This grade is INC due to a lack of nationally representative data.

References

  • Not applicable.
Family and Peers C-

Benchmark

The benchmark covers:

  • % of family members (parents) who facilitate physical activity and sport opportunities for their children (e.g., encouraging participation in sports, providing financial support (fees, equipment), transporting children to activities, attending children’s competitions or performances, volunteering/coaching, and showing interest in their child’s physical education at school).
  • % of family members (and/or parents) who are physically active with their kids.

Key Findings

  • 81.94% children and adolescents (10-17 years) had parental support for physical activity.(1)
  • 56.90% children and adolescents (9-17 years) had parents encourage children to participate in sports, 55.8% parents like to watch children participate in sports activities, 56.70% parents tell children the benefits of sports for their health, 34% parents take part in sports activities with children, 47.2% parents accompany children to sports competitions or performances, 31.9% family members take part in sports activities together, 62.3% parents provide funds to children to participate in sports activities, and 50% parents take initiative to care about child’s physical education in school.(2)

References

  • Jabeen I, Zuberi R, Nanji K. Physical activity levels and their correlates among secondary school adolescents in a township of Karachi, Pakistan. J Pak Med Assoc. 2018;68(5):737-43. PMID: 29885173.
  • Tanveer M, Batrakoulis A, Asghar E, Tanveer U, Roy N, Souissi MA, Ardigò LP, Badicu G. Associations of Parental Support and Involvement in Sports with Overweight and Obesity among Children and Adolescents in Pakistan: An Empirical Cross-Sectional Study. Physical Activity Review. 2025 Jan 1;13(1):35-47. https://doi.org/10.16926/par.2025.13.04.
School C-

Benchmark

The benchmark covers:

  • % of schools providing school-based physical activity instruction (e.g., physical education (PE) classes, being taught the benefits of physical activity, learning how to develop a physical fitness plan, and receiving information about physical activity opportunities in the community).
  • % of schools with qualified or adequately staffed physical education personnel (e.g., PE teachers or school sport staff have excellent attitudes and are available to teach PE).
  • % of schools providing access to physical activity–supportive environments (e.g., access to school sports facilities, playground satisfaction, and availability of PE equipment and venues).
  • % of schools offering physical activity opportunities beyond standard PE (e.g., access to sports venues on weekends, or other opportunities that allow students to be physically active during or outside school hours).

Key Findings

  • 4% of students reported having a physical education class, and 31.1% of students reported that they were taught the benefits of physical activity in any of their classes.(1)
  • 33.6% children and adolescents were taught in classes how to develop a physical fitness plan, and 11.7% were taught in classes about opportunities for physical activity in the community.(2)
  • 42.1% children and adolescents reported that the attitude of school sports staff was excellent, 74.0% had access to school sports facilities, 66.3% were satisfied with playgrounds, 74.4% had physical education teachers available, 48.4% reported effective use of funds for PE, 16.8% said the condition of sports equipment met PE requirements, and 16.8% said the school sports venue was open free on weekends.(3)

References

  • Ali S, Tariq S, Junaid N, Tayyab MA, Abbasi F. Assessment of physical activity among school-going adolescents of ninth and tenth grade in Kamalia district, Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan. Rawal Medical Journal. 2022;47(2):470-2.
  • Tanveer M, Asghar E, Badicu G, Roy N, Siener M, Tanveer U, Al-Mhanna SB, Batrakoulis A. Association of physical activity and physical education with overweight and obesity among school‐aged children and adolescents in Pakistan: an empirical cross‐sectional study. Advances in Public Health. 2024;2024(1):5095049. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5095049.
  • Tanveer M, Asghar E, Badicu G, Tanveer U, Roy N, Zeba A, et al. Associations of school-level factors and school sport facility parameters with overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in Pakistan: an empirical cross-sectional study. Sports. 2024; 12(9):235. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12090235.
Community and Environment INC

Benchmark

The benchmark covers:

  • % of children or parents who report having facilities, programs, parks, and playgrounds available to them in their community.
  • % of communities/municipalities that report they have infrastructure.
  • % of children or parents who report living in a safe neighbourhood where they can be physically active.
  • % of children or parents who report having well-maintained facilities, parks, and playgrounds in their community that are safe to use.

Key Findings

  • This grade is INC due to a lack of nationally representative data.

References

  • Not applicable.
Government INC

Benchmark

Evidence of leadership, investments, and implementation of physical activity strategies targeting children and adolescents (e.g., policy agenda, policy formation, policy implementation, policy evaluation and decisions about the future).

Key Findings

  • This grade is INC due to a lack of nationally representative data.

References

  • Not applicable.
Sleep C-

Benchmark

% of children and youth who sleep 8 hours or more.

Key Findings

  • 56.6% children and adolescents (10-16 years) had adequate sleep (>8 hours).(1)
  • 28% children and adolescents (11-15 years) slept for more than 8 hours.(2)
  • 45% children and adolescents (9-17 years) met sleep guidelines from WHO, CDC, Canadian, and Chinese authorities for children aged 6-12, and for adolescents aged 13-18.(3)

References

  • Nusrat M, Khan A, Hamid S, Hussain AA, Kadir MM. Bedtime and its correlates among secondary school children in Karachi, PakistanJ Pak Med Assoc. 2012;62(11):1168-73.
  • Mansoori N, Nisar N, Shahid N, Mubeen SM, Ahsan S. Prevalence of obesity and its risk factors among school children in Karachi, Pakistan. Trop Doct. 2018;48(4):266-269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049475518786664.
  • Tanveer M, Cai Y, Badicu G, Asghar E, Batrakoulis A, Ardigò LP, Brand S. Associations of 24‐h movement behaviour with overweight and obesity among school‐aged children and adolescents in Pakistan: An empirical cross‐sectional study. Pediatr Obes. 2025;20(5):e13208.
Obesity A

Benchmark

% of children and adolescents who were "not obese", where obesity was defined as:

  • Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age z-score greater than +2 standard deviations (> +2SD) based on the World Health Organization (WHO) child growth reference 2007, or
  • Any other relevant criterion such as the Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than the 95th centile on the CDC Growth Chart for age and sex.

Key Findings

  • 90.6% children and adolescents (5-12 years) were not obese.(1)
  • 89.2% children and adolescents (11-15 years) were not obese.(2)
  • 92.9% children and adolescents (8-12 years) were not obese.(3)
  • 89.3% children and adolescents (9-17 years) were not obese.(4)

References

  • Mushtaq MU, Gull S, Abdullah HM, Shahid U, Shad MA, Akram J. Prevalence and socioeconomic correlates of overweight and obesity among Pakistani primary school children. BMC Public Health. 2011;11(1):724. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-11-724.
  • Mansoori N, Nisar N, Shahid N, Mubeen SM, Ahsan S. Prevalence of obesity and its risk factors among school children in Karachi, Pakistan. Trop Doct. 2018;48(4):266-269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049475518786664.
  • Hadier SG, Yinghai L, Long L, Hamdani SD, Hamdani SMZH. Assessing physical literacy and establishing normative reference curves for 8-12-year-old children from South Punjab, Pakistan: The PAK-IPPL cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2025;20(2):e0312916. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312916.
  • Tanveer M, Batrakoulis A, Asghar E, Hohmann A, Brand S, de Sousa Fernandes MS, et al. Association of sleep duration with overweight and obesity among school-aged children and adolescents in Pakistan-An empirical cross-sectional study. J Educ Health Promot. 2025;14(1):43. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1453_24.
Fruit consumption D-

Benchmark

% of children and adolescents consuming fruits daily.

Key Findings

  • 19.3% adolescents (14-17 years) consumed 7 or more servings of fruits in the last 7 days.(1)
  • 24.5% children and adolescents (11-15 years) consumed two or more pieces of fruit per day in a typical week.(2)

References

  • Khuwaja AK, Khawaja S, Motwani K, Khoja AA, Azam IS, Fatmi Z, et al. Preventable lifestyle risk factors for non-communicable diseases in the Pakistan Adolescents Schools Study 1 (PASS-1). J Prev Med Public Health. 2011;44(5):210-7. https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.2011.44.5.210.
  • Mansoori N, Nisar N, Shahid N, Mubeen SM, Ahsan S. Prevalence of obesity and its risk factors among school children in Karachi, Pakistan. Trop Doct. 2018;48(4):266-269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049475518786664.
24-h movement behaviours INC

Benchmark

% of children and adolescents meeting combined 24-h movement recommendations.

Key Findings

  • This grade is INC due to a lack of nationally representative data.

References

  • Not applicable.