Poverty, inequality on  the rise in Pakistan over six years: Report

New Delhi: Both inequality and poverty have increased in Pakistan during the last six years, a report released by the country's Planning Commission clearly indicated. This is based on a comparison of the level and distribution of household incomes, according to the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) of 2018-19 and 2024-25, respectively, undertaken by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The worrying statistic is the rise in the incidence of national poverty from 21.9 per cent in 2018-19 to 28.9 per cent in 2024-25. Rural poverty has increased from 28.2 per cent to 36.3 percent, while it has gone up in urban areas from 11 percent to 17.4 percent, according to a report in the Karachi-based Business Recorder. (IANS)

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