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Education Does Not Predict Support for Democracy in Pakistan, World Values Survey Analysis Shows
A study by researchers from Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia finds that formal education does not significantly influence whether citizens support democracy in Pakistan. The research, conducted by Muhammad Aquib and Ayesha Saddiqua, analyzes nationally representative survey data from the World Values Survey Wave 7 collected between 2017 and 2022.
Published in 2026 in Jurnal Multidisiplin Madani (MUDIMA), the study reveals that although a large majority of Pakistani citizens support democratic governance, their level of formal education does not significantly explain that support. The findings challenge long-standing political theories that link higher education directly with stronger democratic attitudes.
Democracy Support in a Complex Political Context
Democracy is widely regarded as a political system that guarantees citizen participation, civil liberties, and government accountability. However, democratic consolidation has been uneven across the world, particularly in developing countries.
Pakistan presents a unique political case. Since gaining independence in 1947, the country has experienced repeated shifts between civilian governments and military rule. Despite these institutional challenges, public support for democracy remains high.
Traditional political theories—especially modernization theory—argue that education plays a critical role in fostering democratic values. The theory suggests that education improves citizens’ political awareness, tolerance, and ability to demand accountable governance.
Yet Pakistan’s political reality raises an important question: if education drives democratic support, why do citizens with relatively low levels of formal education still strongly prefer democratic governance?
Researchers from Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia investigated this question using large-scale survey data to better understand how education and democratic attitudes interact in Pakistan’s hybrid political environment.
Data and Research Method
The research used a quantitative correlational design based on secondary data from the World Values Survey Wave 7. The World Values Survey is an international research project that measures social values, political attitudes, and cultural norms across countries using standardized questionnaires.
The Pakistani dataset includes 1,287 respondents, representing both urban and rural populations across different provinces and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The analysis focused on:
- Support for democracy as the main outcome variable
- Level of education as the primary explanatory factor
- Age, income, and religiosity as additional control variables
Support for democracy was measured through a survey question asking respondents whether they consider democracy a good form of government. Responses were converted into a binary variable: respondents either supported democracy or did not.
The researchers applied binary logistic regression analysis, a statistical method commonly used to estimate the probability of an outcome based on multiple variables.
Key Findings
The study produced several important insights about democratic attitudes in Pakistan.
1. Strong Public Support for Democracy
Survey results show that democratic governance enjoys widespread support.
This high level of support exists despite Pakistan’s history of political instability and military intervention.
2. Education Levels Vary Widely
The educational background of respondents reflects a population with mixed levels of formal schooling.
Examples from the survey include:
- 18.8% had no formal education
- 32.56% completed primary education
- 17.02% had incomplete secondary education
- Only 3.73% completed university education
Despite this relatively low average level of education, support for democracy remains high across the population.
3. Education Does Not Significantly Predict Democratic Support
Statistical analysis found no meaningful relationship between education level and support for democracy.
Key regression results include:
- Education coefficient: –0.018
- Statistical significance (p-value): 0.731
Because the p-value is well above standard significance thresholds, education cannot be considered a meaningful predictor of democratic attitudes in this dataset.
4. Other Social Factors Also Show Limited Influence
The study also examined age, income, and religiosity.
Results show that none of these variables significantly predict support for democracy in Pakistan.
This suggests that broader social or political experiences may play a more important role in shaping democratic preferences.
Why Pakistan’s Case Challenges Classic Democratic Theory
The findings question the universal assumptions of modernization theory, which predicts that higher education should lead to stronger support for democratic institutions.
Instead, the research suggests that in developing or hybrid political systems, democratic attitudes may arise from different sources.
Citizens may support democracy because of:
- Historical experiences with authoritarian rule
- Aspirations for accountable governance
- Cultural norms that value fairness and participation
In such contexts, democratic support may reflect normative expectations about governance rather than knowledge gained through formal schooling.
As the researchers explain, democratic attitudes in Pakistan appear to be shaped more by political experience than by educational attainment.
Implications for Democratic Policy and Civic Engagement
The study has important implications for policymakers, educators, and democracy advocates.
First, expanding education alone may not automatically strengthen democratic culture in countries with hybrid political systems.
Instead, democratic consolidation may require broader institutional reforms and civic engagement strategies.
Key policy priorities may include:
- Improving government accountability and transparency
- Strengthening democratic institutions
- Encouraging civic participation and public dialogue
According to Muhammad Aquib of Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, democratic support in Pakistan is influenced by social and historical factors beyond formal education.
Aquib notes that democratic attitudes are often shaped by citizens’ lived political experiences and their expectations for better governance.
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Url: https://journalmudima.my.id/index.php/mudima
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