Pakistan’s poverty rate surpasses India and Bang...

Summary

• The report, released on Monday, found that 38.3 per cent of Pakistanis were living in multidimensional poverty.
• The UNDP report estimates South Asia’s multidimensional poverty rate at around 19.3 per cent, while another 18.4 per cent of the population remains vulnerable to poverty.
• Living standards contribute 36.3 per cent to multidimensional poverty across the region, followed by education at 33.7 per cent and health at 29.9 per cent.

AI Generated Summary

More than one-third of Pakistan’s population faces overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards, placing the country ahead of India and Bangladesh in multidimensional poverty, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The report, released on Monday, found that 38.3 per cent of Pakistanis were living in multidimensional poverty. The corresponding figures stood at 16.4 per cent in India and 14.9 per cent in Bangladesh. However, the estimates are based on household surveys conducted in different years and do not represent a direct comparison of conditions at the same time.

The findings highlight the challenges facing Pakistan in ensuring access to essential services and improving living conditions for disadvantaged communities.

According to the report, the intensity of deprivation among Pakistanis classified as multidimensionally poor stood at 51.7 per cent. Another 12.9 per cent of the population was considered vulnerable to multidimensional poverty, indicating that millions more could face serious hardships.