Child well-being observatory
A child born here
One childhood, five stages, followed province by province. The cohort of 100 on the right re-inks as the story moves — every count is a real, sourced figure, and the provinces diverge sharply.
Birth
Day oneA child born in Punjab arrives where about 75% of births are registered — the paperwork that unlocks every later right.
Neonatal mortality
Maternal mortality
Birth registration
First 1,000 days
0–2 yearsIn the window that shapes a lifetime, 36.4% of Punjab's under-fives are stunted — growth lost that rarely comes back.
Under-5 stunting
Under-5 wasting (national)
Fully immunized
Primary school
5–9 yearsBy age ten, four in five children nationwide cannot read and understand a simple story — schooling that too often does not teach.
Learning poverty (national)
Can read a Class-2 story
Out-of-school (national)
Secondary & beyond
10–17 yearsFewer reach secondary school in Punjab, and for girls the road can end early — about 18% of young women were married before 18.
Married before 18 (national)
Adult literacy (national)
Into adulthood
18+ yearsThose who make it through enter a workforce where literacy is 63% and record IT exports hint at opportunity — if the learning base can catch up.
Adult literacy (national)
Unemployment (national)
Four provinces, four childhoods
National averages hide these gaps. Real provincial figures where a series exists.
| Indicator | PB | SD | KP | BL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36.4% | 45.5% | 40% | 46.6% | |
| 157 /100k | 224 /100k | 165 /100k | 298 /100k | |
| 75% | 34% | 30% | 44% | |
| 68% | 49% | 53% | 35% |
These are observations, not destiny. Sources and vintages are one click away.
A cohort of 100 children
Scroll through a life to see how this cohort fares at each stage.