Pakistan’s poverty rate has surged to 29%, the highest in 11 years, with income inequality reaching a 27-year peak, as per a recent survey by the country’s Planning Ministry. Nearly 70 million Pakistanis now live in poverty, based on the monthly poverty line of Rs 8,484, required for basic needs.
The survey revealed a 32% increase in poverty since 2018-19, with the poverty ratio escalating from 21.9% in 2019 to 28.9% under the current government. This marks the highest level since 2014, when the poverty rate was 29.5%.
Income inequality in Pakistan has also risen sharply to 32.7, the highest in 27 years, with the country facing its highest unemployment rate in 21 years at 7.1%. The rural poverty rate surged from 28.2% to 36.2%, while urban poverty rose from 11% to 17.4%.
Poverty rates soared across provinces, with Punjab rising from 16.5% to 23.3%, Sindh from 24.5% to 32.6%, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa from 28.7% to 35.3%. Balochistan remains the most affected, with poverty rising from 42% to 47%.
