Pakistan’s First Digital Panel Survey Results Revealed – Progress or Persistent Poverty?

The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) has unveiled the results of Pakistan’s first digital panel survey, known as the Pakistan Panel Household Survey (PPHS) 2024. The study offers a detailed look at economic and social changes over the past two decades, highlighting both progress and persisting challenges.

The findings were shared during a seminar titled “Pakistan Panel Household Survey (PPHS): Key Insights and Implications for Policymaking.” The event featured Dr. Shujaat Farooq, Dean of Research at PIDE, and was moderated by Dr. Karim Khan, Dean of Academics at PIDE.

Pakistan’s First Digital Panel Survey Results Revealed – Progress or Persistent Poverty?

Dr. Farooq shared that 76 percent of households surveyed in 2010 were successfully re-tracked in 2024—an impressive achievement in long-term research. The latest round of PPHS was supported by RASTA-DDR and conducted in collaboration with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The survey has now expanded from 16 to 30 districts, including major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Hyderabad, and Peshawar. It covered 8,621 households nationwide and was the first to be conducted fully digitally using tablets, ensuring real-time monitoring and improved data quality.

PPHS 2024 introduced several new modules. These included learning poverty, care work, disability, financial literacy, and a detailed child well-being and parenting section. It also updated its consumption categories to reflect modern lifestyles, such as “eating out.”

Education: Gains and Gaps

Education data from the survey revealed mixed results. Literacy rates have improved, but 34 percent of students from Grades 3–8 still cannot solve Grade 2-level division problems, showing high levels of learning poverty.

Financial barriers remain a key challenge. About 71 percent of parents said they cannot afford to keep their children in school. The dropout rate at the middle-school level stands at 34 percent, and 21 percent of students leave school after matriculation.

Labour Market: Limited Progress for Women

The labour market results show slight shifts. Male participation dropped from 80 to 78 percent, while female participation increased from 23.7 to 26.9 percent over 14 years. However, women continue to work mostly in agriculture and informal sectors, with little access to better-paying jobs.

Occupational mobility remains slow, as the movement from blue-collar to white-collar jobs has not seen significant change.

Encouraging Social Mobility

The report shows encouraging signs of intergenerational progress. University graduates now make up 9 percent of the younger generation, compared to 1 percent among their fathers. Ownership of inherited parental homes increased from 58 percent to 81 percent, and half of the families said they are financially better off than their parents.

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Health: Major Improvements, But Inequality Remains

Health indicators show significant improvement. Antenatal care coverage rose to 80.9 percent, while skilled birth attendance reached 88.5 percent. Home births dropped sharply to 11.6 percent, and TT vaccination coverage increased to 72.3 percent.

However, regional disparities remain, especially in Balochistan, where access to maternal healthcare is still limited.

Child nutrition also shows progress. Stunting declined from 60 to 43 percent, and underweight cases dropped from 50 to 33 percent, though wasting rose slightly.

Poverty and Inflation Concerns

Despite improvements, food insecurity remains widespread. Only 19.5 percent of households can always afford the meals they desire, while 30 percent sometimes skip one or more meals.

Over 60 percent of households identified inflation as the biggest shock affecting their livelihoods.

Using the Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) method, Pakistan’s overall poverty rate is 30.5 percent. Rural poverty stands at 36.6 percent, compared to 17.8 percent in urban areas.

Final Verdict:

The PPHS 2024 highlights how Pakistan has made real progress in health, education, and social mobility, yet still faces deep inequalities and financial pressures. The findings serve as an important guide for policymakers working toward inclusive and sustainable growth.