The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has recently released the results of the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024–25. This survey is significant as HIES 2024–25 is the first-ever fully digital, countrywide survey conducted after the Digital Population and Housing Census 2023. Field operations for the survey were completed in June 2025, covering a nationally representative sample of 32,000 households across Pakistan.

The survey provides comprehensive and detailed insights into the social and economic conditions of the country and serves as a crucial tool for policymakers, planners and researchers. HIES has been monitoring key socio-economic indicators at both national and provincial levels since 1963. The previous survey was conducted in 2018–19 and provided extensive data on income, consumption and living standards. HIES also plays an important role in tracking Pakistan’s progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), covering 31 out of the 62 relevant indicators.

On the positive side, the survey highlights some notable improvements. Literacy has increased by three percentage points, out-of-school children have declined by two percentage points, and the use of clean fuels has risen by three points. Household internet access has surged sharply from 34 percent to 70 percent, while the proportion of individuals using the internet has jumped from 17 percent to 57 percent. Child immunisation has also improved by five percentage points, rising from 68 percent to 73 percent. One of the key findings of the survey is that average monthly household income in Pakistan more than doubled between 2018–19 and 2024–25, increasing from Rs41,545 to Rs82,179. This represents a substantial increase of 97.81 percent and suggests that, in nominal terms, households are earning more than before.

However, this apparent improvement masks a troubling reality. In terms of income distribution, significant inequality persists. In 2024–25, the poorest quintile earned an average of Rs41,851 per month, while the richest quintile earned Rs139,317—nearly three times higher. Inequality is even more pronounced in urban areas, where the richest households earned well above Rs146,920, while the poorest remained below Rs42,412, underscoring the widening gap between rich and poor.

Over the past six years, average household consumption expenditure increased by a staggering 113 percent. In 2018–19, an average household spent Rs37,159 per month, which rose to Rs79,150 in 2024–25. A closer examination reveals a widening disparity: poor households in the first quintile recorded an increase of 84 percent in consumption expenditure, while rich households in the fifth quintile saw an increase of 131 percent. This clearly demonstrates that consumption growth has been disproportionately skewed in favour of the affluent.

These trends indicate that, despite higher nominal incomes, the average Pakistani household has effectively become poorer and is living a more difficult life. A comparison of HIES 2024–25 income data with 2018–19 prices shows that, in real terms, people are worse off today than they were six years ago. Except for the richest 20 percent of households, all other income groups in both urban and rural areas have suffered a decline in real incomes. For instance, in 2018–19 the average poorest urban household earned Rs24,365, whereas in 2024–25 the same household earned only Rs18,820 when adjusted to 2018–19 prices. Overall, the average urban citizen became 19 percent poorer, while the average rural citizen became 7 percent poorer during this six-year period.

Rising poverty is directly affecting the daily lives of people, particularly in terms of food consumption. A major share of household income is now being spent on basic food items—36.72 percent—which is slightly higher than in 2018–19. Yet, despite spending more, households are consuming less food than they did six years ago. According to HIES data, per capita consumption has declined across almost all major food items. For example, in 2018–19 the average urban Pakistani consumed 6.12 kilograms of wheat per month, but in 2024–25 this fell to 5.67 kilograms. Per capita consumption of essential food items—including rice, pulses, milk, mutton, beef, chicken, eggs, potatoes, onions, sugar and tea—has declined in both urban and rural areas. This implies reduced protein intake, lower dairy consumption and diminished dietary diversity, particularly for children, which may result in weaker physical development and lower earning potential in the future.

In simple terms, Pakistanis are spending more but eating less than they were six years ago. Alarmingly, food insecurity has increased from 15.9 percent in 2018–19 to 24.4 percent in 2024–25. Households are also spending less on education than before. Nearly 4 percent of household expenditure was allocated to education in 2018–19, which has declined to around 2.5 percent. Meanwhile, household health expenditure has marginally increased from 3.22 percent to 3.34 percent, largely reflecting rising medicine and healthcare costs.

HIES 2024–25 clearly demonstrates that macroeconomic stability is not translating into improved living standards for the average Pakistani. The harsh reality is that macroeconomic stability has largely been achieved by impoverishing households through high direct and indirect taxes and exorbitant utility bills. The survey’s findings indicate that the household economy is under severe strain. It is particularly concerning that the average number of earners per household declined from 1.86 to 1.72 between 2018–19 and 2024–25. In urban areas, the figure fell from 1.75 to 1.62, while in rural areas it declined from 1.92 to 1.78. Punjab was the worst affected province in this regard, with earners per household dropping sharply from 1.63 to 1.34. At the same time, the share of salaried employees rose from 54.80 percent to 60.10 percent, while self-employment declined from 24.70 percent to 21.75 percent, indicating shrinking opportunities for independent livelihoods.

The findings of HIES 2024–25 should serve as a serious wake-up call for policymakers and rulers. Mere sloganeering about macroeconomic stability is meaningless when the average Pakistani is poorer today and consuming less food than five years ago. This silent crisis is steadily building and carries the seeds of a potential future social explosion. The government must act before it is too late by formulating genuinely pro-poor policies instead of continuing to mollycoddle the rich and privileged segments of society.