Pakistan's Poverty Crisis Deepens: 70 Million in Extreme Poverty, Rate Hits 29%

• Pakistan's poverty rate surged to 29%, the highest in 11 years, with 70 million people now living in extreme poverty.
• Income inequality reached a 27-year peak, and the unemployment rate hit a 21-year high of 7.1%.
• Poverty reversed its decline, worsening from 21.9% in 2019 to 28.9%, the sharpest deterioration since 2014.
• Rural communities were hit hardest, with rural poverty rising from 28.2% to 36.2%, compared to urban poverty increasing from 11% to 17.4%.
• Real monthly household income fell by 12% over seven years, as inflation outpaced income growth, exacerbated by IMF stabilization measures.