Socio-economic Determinants of Low Literacy Rate in Rural Areas of Punjab Pakistan

This study investigates the socio-economic determinants of low literacy rates in rural areas of Punjab, Pakistan, particularly focusing on Multan. The research design adopts a correlational approach utilizing a structured questionnaire-based survey method for data collection. The questionnaire, administered to a purposive sample of 200 respondents across diverse socio-economic strata within Multan Sadar, Multan Municipality, Jalalpur Piruwala, and the Tehsil of Shujabad, aims to capture demographic information, educational background, income, employment status, and access to educational resources. Ethical considerations prioritize informed consent, confidentiality, and participant autonomy. The subsequent data analysis involves organizing collected data in SPSS, conducting frequency distribution, Pearson's correlation coefficient, regression analysis, and binary logistic regression to discern relationships between socio-economic factors and literacy rates. Findings reveal significant associations between socio-economic factors and educational background, highlighting the critical roles of gender, employment status, income level, access to resources, and rural/urban divide in shaping literacy rates. These insights underscore the need for comprehensive policy interventions addressing socio-economic and gender-based barriers to improve literacy rates effectively in rural areas like Multan, Punjab, Pakistan.