Official report shows national poverty has climbed from 21.9% in 2018-19 to 28.9% in FY2024-25, with Balochistan recording the highest poverty incidence.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national poverty rate has risen sharply to 28.9 percent in FY2024-25, reversing years of progress in poverty reduction, according to the latest official data released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.
The Poverty Trends by National and Sub-National report shows the national poverty rate increased from 21.9 percent in 2018-19 to 28.9 percent in FY2024-25, indicating that nearly three in every 10 Pakistanis now live below the national poverty line.
The report also revises the national poverty threshold, with the monthly consumption-based poverty line per adult equivalent increasing to Rs8,483.80 in FY2024-25 from Rs3,757.85 in 2018-19, reflecting higher living costs and inflation.
Poverty rises across all provinces
The latest statistics show that poverty has worsened in every province over the past six years.
Punjab continued to record the lowest poverty incidence among the provinces, although its rate increased to 23.3 percent from 16.5 percent in 2018-19.
In Sindh, the poverty rate rose to 32.6 percent, compared with 24.5 percent six years earlier.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded one of the sharpest increases, with poverty climbing from 28.7 percent to 35.3 percent.
Balochistan remained the country’s poorest province, where the poverty rate increased from 41.8 percent in 2018-19 to 47.0 percent in FY2024-25, meaning nearly one in every two residents lives below the poverty line.
Years of progress reversed
The report highlights that Pakistan had made significant progress in reducing poverty over more than a decade before the recent reversal.
National poverty declined steadily from 50.4 percent in 2005-06 to 44.1 percent in 2007-08, before falling further to 36.8 percent in 2010-11 and 29.5 percent in 2013-14.
The downward trend continued to 24.3 percent in 2015-16, reaching its lowest recorded level of 21.9 percent in 2018-19 before rising sharply in the latest assessment.
Regional disparities persist
The report underscores the continued disparity in poverty levels across Pakistan’s provinces.
Although Balochistan’s poverty rate had fallen substantially from 76.5 percent in 2005-06 to 42.2 percent in 2015-16, the province has since experienced a renewed increase to 47.0 percent.
Punjab has consistently maintained the lowest poverty levels, while Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to face relatively higher rates of poverty.
The findings suggest that economic recovery and development have remained uneven across different regions of the country.
Rising cost of living intensifies pressure
The report also reflects the growing impact of inflation on household welfare.
According to the official estimates, the monthly consumption-based poverty line per adult equivalent has increased from Rs1,277.74 in 2005-06 to Rs8,483.80 in FY2024-25, based on the 2013-14 poverty line methodology.
Economists say the sharp increase in the poverty threshold illustrates the substantial rise in the cost of living over the past two decades.
The latest figures highlight the growing economic pressures facing Pakistani households and reinforce the need for targeted poverty reduction strategies, employment creation, inflation management and stronger social protection programmes to support vulnerable communities across the country.