New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) Nearly 38 per cent of Pakistan’s population continues to live in multidimensional poverty, highlighting deep-rooted challenges that extend beyond income and include inadequate access to education, healthcare, housing, digital connectivity and climate resilience, a report has said.

According to analysis by The Express Tribune, poverty in Pakistan is no longer solely a question of household income or consumption levels but reflects broader deprivation across multiple aspects of daily life.

In addition to the 38 per cent of the population living in multidimensional poverty, another 13 per cent remains vulnerable to falling into poverty, it said.

Many households that are marginally above the official poverty line continue to face significant barriers in accessing quality education, healthcare services, clean water, sanitation and digital infrastructure.

Education remains the largest contributor to multidimensional poverty in Pakistan, accounting for nearly half of the country’s overall deprivation score. The lack of access to schooling continues to trap millions of children in a cycle of intergenerational poverty, limiting future economic opportunities.

The report attributed these disparities to decades of uneven public investment, governance challenges and regional imbalances.

Climate change has emerged as another major factor exacerbating poverty across the country.

The devastating floods of 2022 affected more than 33 million people and pushed an estimated nine million individuals below the poverty line.

Nearly 44 per cent of Pakistan’s population experiences digital deprivation, with rural communities facing the greatest barriers to internet access and digital services, according to the report.

While social protection initiatives such as the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and the Sehat Sahulat Programme have helped ease some of the pressures faced by vulnerable households, the report noted that welfare support alone is insufficient to address structural poverty.

It stressed the need for a broader development strategy that combines social protection with improvements in education, skills development, healthcare access and economic opportunities.

–IANS

ag/