Publication: Reclaiming Momentum Towards Prosperity: Pakistan's Poverty, Equity, and Resilience Assessment
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2025-09-23
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2025-09-23
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Pakistan’s once-promising poverty reduction trajectory has come to a troubling halt, reversing years of hard-fought gains. After dramatically reducing poverty from 64.3 percent in 2001 to 21.9 percent in 2018—declining by 3 percentage points annually until 2015 before slowing to less than 1 percentage point per year—recent compounding shocks have pushed poverty rates back up to a projected 25.3 percent by 2023/24. The economic model that delivered early wins has reached its limits, with 14 percent of the population in 2018 remaining vulnerable to falling back into poverty when faced with shocks. Compounding crises—COVID-19, economic instability, devastating floods, and record-high inflation—have further exposed systemic weaknesses, leaving many in low-productivity activities and unable to cope with these challenges. Bold policy reforms are now essential to address structural imbalances, prevent sliding back into poverty during shocks, and tackle the persistent challenges in remote areas. In this context, this Poverty, Equity, and Resilience Assessment , the first since the early 2000s, looks at how poverty has evolved in Pakistan by combining traditional and non-traditional data, offering detailed analysis and strategic direction on the country’s efforts and challenges to reduce poverty and promote equity. This comprehensive assessment aims to provide a roadmap for policymakers and stakeholders to address poverty and equity challenges in Pakistan effectively.
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“World Bank. 2025. Reclaiming Momentum Towards Prosperity: Pakistan's Poverty, Equity, and Resilience Assessment. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/43722 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
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