Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Pakistan
Pakistan: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 32.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Pakistan, 1987–2024
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Pakistan is 32.8%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 4.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Pakistan peaked at 80.6% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 29.0%, in 2018.
Pakistan ranks 23rd of 123 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 80.6% | — |
| 1990 | 79.5% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 45.3% | -43.0% |
| 1998 | 50.3% | +11.0% |
| 2001 | 56.2% | +11.7% |
| 2004 | 40.9% | -27.2% |
| 2005 | 40.8% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 37.0% | -9.3% |
| 2010 | 33.2% | -10.3% |
| 2011 | 33.1% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 31.4% | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 29.9% | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 29.0% | -3.0% |
| 2024 | 32.8% | +13.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 80.6% | 80.6% | 80.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 58.4% | 45.3% | 79.5% | 3 |
| 2000s | 43.7% | 37.0% | 56.2% | 4 |
| 2010s | 31.3% | 29.0% | 33.2% | 5 |
| 2020s | 32.8% | 32.8% | 32.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More poverty & inequality data for Pakistan
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 3.6 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,634 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 4.94 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 12.36 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 12.4% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Pakistan?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Pakistan was 32.8% in 2024, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 80.6% in 1987.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.0% in 2018.
- How does Pakistan rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Pakistan ranks 23rd out of 123 countries with data for 2024.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.