Loralai District (Urdu: ضلع لورالائی) is a district in the northeast of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The town of Loralai serves as the district headquarters.
In the 2023 census, 1,611 (0.6%) were from religious minorities.[3]
As of the 2023 census, Loralai district has 38,214 households and a population of 272,432. The district has a sex ratio of 110.13 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 43.16%: 54.27% for males and 30.81% for females.[2][5] 101,407 (37.65% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age.[6] 59,601 (21.88%) live in urban areas.[2]
At the time of the 2023 census, 96.25% of the population spoke Pashto, 1.13% Balochi, 0.97% Saraiki and 0.72% Punjabi as their first language.[14]
According to the Pakistan District Education Rankings, district Loralai is ranked at number 97 out of the 141 ranked districts in Pakistan on the education score index. This index considers learning, gender parity and retention in the district.
Literacy rate in 2014–15 of population 10 years and older in the district stands at 44% whereas for females it is only 22%.[15]
Post primary access is a major issue in the district with 89% schools being at primary level. Compare this with high schools which constitute only 3% of government schools in the district. This is also reflected in the enrolment figures for 2016–17 with 12,192 students enrolled in class 1 to 5 and only 586 students enrolled in class 9 and 10.
Gender disparity is another issue in the district. Only 28% schools in the district are girls’ schools. Access to education for girls is a major issue in the district and is also reflected in the low literacy rates for females.
Moreover, the schools in the district lack basic facilities. According to Alif Ailaan district education rankings 2017, the district is ranked at number 135 out of the 155 districts of Pakistan for primary school infrastructure. At the middle school level, it is ranked at number 137 out of the 155 districts. These rankings take into account the basic facilities available in schools including drinking water, working toilet, availability of electricity, existence of a boundary wall and general building condition. 7 out of 10 schools do not have electricity in them. 3 out of 4 schools lack a toilet and more than half of the schools do not have a boundary wall. 2 out of 5 schools do not have clean drinking water.
