Pakistan's estimated population (excluding the disputed areas of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan) was 207,774,520 according to the provisional results of the 2017 Census of Pakistan. Pakistan is the world's fifth-most-populous country.

Majority of the population are part of the youth age bracket: in 2019, 34.8% were thought to be 14 or younger, though in 1990 this had been much higher at 43.7%. In 2010, the figure for those aged 24 or less was 62.19%.

Many young Pakistanis are affected by serious issues around education in Pakistan; only 68% of Pakistani children finish primary school education and Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. Other areas with significant issues include: child marriage in Pakistan, child labour in Pakistan, street children, malnutrition, and health problems.

Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan obligates the state to provide free and compulsory quality education to children of the age group of 5 to 16 years. "The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such a manner as may be determined by law".

Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world and the second largest out of school population (22.8 million children) after Nigeria. Only 68% of Pakistani children finish primary school education.

In 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved Pakistan’s first Skills Impact Bond, a "Pay-for-Success" model aimed at attracting private investment to enhance youth employability. The initiative focuses on equipping young people with market-driven skills and ensuring job placements, including opportunities abroad. The government also emphasized language training to facilitate overseas employment, reflecting a growing trend of Pakistani youth seeking careers outside the country due to limited domestic prospects.

Amid this push for skilled migration, concerns persist over the rising use of illicit drugs among the youth, linked to unemployment, lack of social support, and economic instability. The dual challenge of brain drain and substance abuse remains a critical issue for policymakers.

The practice of child marriage is prevalent in Pakistan, with the highest prevalence in the Sindh province. It disproportionately affects the daughter of a Pakistani family. Defined as marriage before the age of 18 years, child marriage is widespread in Pakistan and linked to spousal violence. Child marriage occurs most often in rural and low-income households where education is minimal. The Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey conducted from 2012 to 2013 reported that 47.5% of currently married women aged 15 to 24 had been married before the age of 18. Moreover, of those child marriages, one-third of those women reported spousal violence. Another UNICEF report claims 70% of girls in Pakistan are married before the age of 16. As with India and Africa, the UNICEF data for Pakistan is from a small sample survey in the 1990s.