Nearly 30% Of Pakistan Now Living Below Poverty Line: Report

According to a recent Dawn report over three out of ten Pakistanis currently live below the poverty line, exposing the severe economic damage caused by years of unchecked inflation, frequent financial crises, and slow growth.

According to the analysis, which was based on Pakistan’s most recent Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) and Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM), the country’s poverty rate increased dramatically from 21.8% in 2018–19 to 28.9% in 2024–2025.

The decline is one of the most obvious examples of how multiple economic shocks have altered living standards throughout Pakistan, and it occurs after almost six years without new household survey data.

Pakistan’s rural areas have been most affected. During the period, poverty increased by around eight percentage points in rural areas and about six percentage points in urban areas, underscoring the growing disparity between cities and villages.

The report claims that the Covid-19 pandemic, many balance-of-payments problems, skyrocketing inflation, rising commodity prices, and protracted economic adjustment measures all contributed to the growth in poverty.

Additionally, the research highlights what experts refer to as a “lost decade” for the average Pakistani. Despite periods of economic development, many families are now in worse shape than they were a few years ago, as evidenced by the drop in inflation-adjusted household earnings and consumption during two successive survey cycles. Higher-income groups benefited most from the economy’s growth, while inflation gradually reduced the purchasing power of lower-income households.

According to the analysis, the economy’s gains were concentrated among higher-income groups, while inflation gradually reduced the purchasing power of lower-income people.

Rising prices exceeded income growth, which disproportionately affected families that relied on salaries. Because they owned assets like real estate and financial investments, which tend to increase in value during inflationary times, wealthier Pakistanis, on the other hand, were comparatively better protected.

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