ISLAMABAD: Poverty levels in Pakistan have significantly worsened, with 44.7% of the population now living below the poverty line, according to a recent report by World Bank.
This marks a sharp increase from the previous figure of 39.8%.
The report explains that the World Bank has revised the poverty threshold for lower-middle-income countries. Previously, individuals earning less than $3.65 per day were considered below the poverty line. That threshold has now been raised to $4.20 per day per person, resulting in an increased percentage of people classified as poor.
As a result, nearly 45% of Pakistan’s population is now considered below the poverty line. The report further states that 16.5% of the population earns less than $3 per day, placing them among the country’s poorest. Meanwhile, 88.4% of the population earns below the upper-middle-income threshold of $8.50 per day.
These poverty estimates are based on Pakistan’s 2017 census, when the country’s total population was recorded at 206 million. At that time, approximately 85 million people were classified as poor. With the new estimates, the number of people living in poverty has risen to over 90 million.
Pakistan conducted a new national census in 2023, but the World Bank figures are yet to reflect this updated data.
