How Pakistan's provinces are poorer than some of the world's poorest nations

Pakistan's poverty rose by 7 per cent over the last six years, with nearly 27 million people falling into the league. It has pushed the net tally of the poor in the country to 70 million, according to the national economic survey 2025-26. The survey released on Thursday indicated that poverty was at 21.9 per cent in 2018-19, but now it has increased to 28.9 per cent in 2024-25.

Rural poverty increased from 28.2 to 36.2 per cent, while urban poverty rose to 17.4 per cent from 11 per cent. In the Punjab province, poverty surged from 16.5 to 23.3 per cent; in Sindh, it has increased from 24.5 to 32.6 per cent; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa witnessed a rise from 28.7 to 35.3 per cent; and Balochistan saw a rise from 41.8 to 47 per cent.

Balochistan's poverty marks the highest rate among Pakistan's provinces, while Punjab reported the lowest among the four provinces. According to The Balochistan Post, nearly 47 per cent of Balochistan's population lives below the poverty line, significantly above Pakistan's national average of 28.9 per cent.

Pakistan provinces vs poorest nations

The survey attributed the rise in poverty to a combination of long-term economic challenges, including soaring inflation, the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee, economic reforms linked to International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes, devastating floods and the impact of the conflict in West Asia. The findings suggest that nearly half of Balochistan's residents are unable to meet their basic needs, underscoring the growing economic disparity between the province and the rest of the country.

The poverty rate of Balochistan and Punjab provinces is even higher than that of some of the poor nations that include Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Togo. Reports indicate that Ghana's multidimensional poverty was 21.9 per cent (7.2 million people) by 2025 Q3 which fell from 24.9 per cent (8.2 million people) in 2024 Q4.

The multidimensional poverty headcount ratio of Togo was also 44.63 per cent in 2021. Burkina Faso's poverty rate at $3.00 a Day (PPP) was also 42.06 per cent in 2021, according to World Bank data. Similarly, Mauritania's poverty rate at $3.00 a day stands at 10.22 per cent, and the multidimensional poverty headcount ratio is 42.74 per cent. Even its poverty rate at the National Poverty Line(s) was at 31.80 per cent in 2021.

Surprisingly, Comoros' poverty rate at the National Poverty Line in 2021 was 42.40 per cent, which was higher than Pakistan's Punjab province but lower than Balochistan. To evaluate global poverty rates, international organisations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) primarily track the Poverty Headcount Ratio, which measures the percentage of a country’s population living below the International Poverty Line (currently set at $2.15 per day for extreme poverty).