Share of population living below national poverty lines in Pakistan
Pakistan: Share of population living below national poverty lines was 21.9% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Share of population living below national poverty lines in Pakistan, 2001–2018
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living below national poverty lines in Pakistan is 21.9%, measured in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.9% on the previous year and down 50.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living below national poverty lines in Pakistan peaked at 64.3% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 21.9%, in 2018.
That places Pakistan 21st out of 70 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of population living below national poverty lines in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 64.3% | — |
| 2004 | 51.7% | -19.6% |
| 2005 | 50.4% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 44.1% | -12.5% |
| 2010 | 36.8% | -16.6% |
| 2011 | 36.3% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 29.5% | -18.7% |
| 2015 | 24.3% | -17.6% |
| 2018 | 21.9% | -9.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 52.6% | 44.1% | 64.3% | 4 |
| 2010s | 29.8% | 21.9% | 36.8% | 5 |
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 share of population living below national poverty lines in Pakistan?
- Share of population living below national poverty lines in Pakistan was 21.9% in 2018, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living below national poverty lines recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 64.3% in 2001.
- What is the lowest share of population living below national poverty lines recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.9% in 2018.
- How does Pakistan rank for share of population living below national poverty lines?
- Pakistan ranks 21st out of 70 countries with data for 2018.
- Is share of population living below national poverty lines rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.3%. 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 (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living below national poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty lines. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys.