Poverty in Pakistan rises by 7% over three years: World Bank

ISLAMABAD:  Poverty in Pakistan has surged by 7 percent points over the past three years, according to a World Bank report.

World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, Bolormaa Amgaabazar, told reporters that the national poverty rate currently stands at 25.3%, compared to 18.3% in 2022. She noted that poverty climbed to 24.8% in 2023-24 before edging further to 25.3% in 2024-25.

Amgaabazar highlighted that between 2001 and 2015, Pakistan reduced poverty at an average rate of 3% annually, while from 2015 to 2018 the rate of decline slowed to 1% per year. However, poverty levels began rising again after 2020, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and have continued to climb since 2022.

The World Bank’s Country Director said that in 2011 to 2021, people’s income increased by only 2 to 3 percent, with 85 % of people working in low income sectors while 95 % of people in informal sectors work.

He added that Pakistan’s population is based in 60 to 80 percent of urban areas and according to official data, 39 percent of the population is based in cities.