New Delhi, April 12 (IANS) Pakistan is facing renewed concerns over rising poverty levels, with fresh estimates by the Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) suggesting that the country’s poverty rate has climbed to 43.5 per cent, a report has said. This figure is significantly higher than the 28.9 per cent estimated by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) based on the Household Integrated Economic Survey 2024-25, as per the Business Recorder report.The divergence in estimates stems la…
Latest Poverty News & Updates
New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) Pakistan’s economy has come under further stress due to external shocks triggered by the West Asia crisis, as the country struggles under a mountain of foreign debt with weak GDP growth, declining investment and rising inflation, according to an article in Lisbon Post.Public debt has surged dramatically over the past several years, rising from approximately Rs 43 trillion (Pakistani rupee) in 2018 to Rs 80.52 trillion by the end of fiscal year 2025. At the same time, …
Islamabad, April 1 (IANS) Poverty has yet again increased in Pakistan with fresh statistics placing nearly half of the population below the poverty line, demonstrating a widening gap between official claims and lived realities, a report has stated. A recent assessment by the Social Policy and Development Centre, an independent research organisation, has revealed that poverty in Pakistan stands at 43.5 per cent, which implies that around 27 million people are living below poverty line, significan…
New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) Factors like regional conflict and the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz account for only a portion of the increase in fuel prices in Pakistan, according to a new report, which stresses that the majority reflects “structural mismanagement, delayed reforms, and political considerations”.The Pakistan Observer report mentions that officials described the Middle East situation as an exceptional global crisis, while emphasising that precautionary steps had already be…
New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament Malvinder Singh Kang on Tuesday criticised the Union Government while speaking on the Finance Bill 2026 in Lok Sabha, stating that the government’s claims of economic strength and reforms over the last decade stand completely disconnected from the ground reality. Kang said that while the Finance Minister has made tall claims about economic progress, the real picture of the country’s economy is deeply concerning.“If we lo…
New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) Bangladesh’s launch of the Family Card programme, promising 2,500 (in local currency) monthly allowance for vulnerable families risks serious fiscal strain and may doom its overburdened social‑welfare system, a new report has said.Bangladesh’s tax‑to‑GDP ratio, one of the lowest in the world and inflexible commitments in its national budget, including debt interest and power subsidies, leave little room for a new recurring commitment, said a report from Banglad…
New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Economic fragility in Pakistan has reached a critical stage following the US–Israel war with Iran due to the drastic escalation in oil prices and the surge in the trade gap, a Pakistani media report said.In terms of per capita income, economic growth rate, dwindling exports and low foreign exchange reserves, Pakistan is in dire straits, according to an article in the Lahore-based Friday Times.Pakistan’s economic fragility is reflected in its GDP growth rate, which …
New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) Pakistan’s claims of economic stabilisation and recovery are facing growing scepticism, with experts warning that deep-rooted structural weaknesses — particularly a deteriorating production base — continue to undermine the country’s economic outlook, a report has said.According to a report published by The Express Tribune, the government has highlighted its success in averting a default, while analysts say the broader economy remains fragile, with little evidence…
New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) As Pakistan faces a deepening poverty crisis as per the latest government data, the country is actually facing “institutional poverty” — the absence of strong, predictable and resilient institutions that protect incomes, enable opportunity and absorb shocks, a new report has said.The Planning Commission of Pakistan revealed that monetary poverty has risen from 21.9 percent in 2018–19 to 28.9 percent in 2024–25, but the country is not only facing monetary pove…
London, March 7 (IANS) Pakistan’s growing poverty has disrupted socio-economic stability, fuelling child labour and widening inequalities, while financial hardships restrict access to education, especially for women. Critics and experts argue that despite financial and developmental assistance from global institutions, “ineffective and inefficient” government policies, political instability, and widening inequality has driven the worsening poverty situation across Pakistan.Citing Acute Foo…