By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Consumer confidence in Pakistan rose four points over the past two years to 35.5, as fewer households cited inflation, poverty and unemployment as pressing worries and more saw the country heading in the right direction, an Ipsos survey showed.
The consumer confidence index advanced from 31.5 since the current government took office, the market research firm said. The poll, released in the first quarter of 2026, comes after a tough stabilization period in which international rating agencies have acknowledged progress from Islamabad’s structural reforms under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund program.
Ipsos carried out the work through computer-assisted telephonic interviews between Feb. 2 and Feb. 14. More than 1,000 respondents took part, drawn from all provinces as well as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Four in 10 Pakistanis now say the country is on the right track, more than three times the 12% recorded when the government came to power. Optimism on this measure was higher among men. The share viewing the economy itself as strong jumped sixfold to 23% from 4%.
Economic concerns, while still the dominant worry, eased sharply across the board. Compared with the first quarter of 2024, the proportion troubled by inflation fell 23 percentage points, poverty by 20 points and unemployment by 10 points in the first quarter of this year. Concern over electricity prices dropped 34 points and the burden of additional taxes by 18 points.
One in three respondents expect the economy to strengthen, up from 27% two years earlier. Forty percent anticipate their personal finances will improve over the coming period. Job-security confidence nearly doubled to 23% from 12%. The portion comfortable investing rose to 16% from 11%, with urban residents showing even greater optimism. Comfort making household purchases climbed to 12% from 4%, while confidence for major purchases more than doubled.
“These findings point to a clear two-year transformation in the Consumer Confidence Index, demonstrating the perceived impact of consistent governance and policy measures,” the survey said in its key takeaway. “Sustained performance, coupled with transparent communication of achievements, will be essential to maintain momentum, reinforce optimism, and support further improvements in economic confidence.”
Khurram Schehzad, an adviser to the finance minister, flagged the results in a post on X. He listed the tripling in those seeing the country on the right track, the sixfold rise in perceptions of a strong economy, and the declines in key concerns, adding: “Independent IPSOS data indicates rising public confidence, easing anxiety around key economic issues, and strengthening optimism about Pakistan’s economic direction and future.”
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