By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Individual internet use in Pakistan jumped to 57% from 17% over the past year, while household access to the web more than doubled to 70%, according to a government survey that highlights pockets of progress amid broader economic strains.
The Household Integrated Economic Survey for 2024-25, released Thursday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, also showed gains in areas like education and health, even as households grapple with high food costs and inflation. The annual poll, which canvassed 32,000 households nationwide, provides a snapshot of social and economic conditions to guide policymaking.
“The PBS has successfully completed and released the results of the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024–25, marking a major milestone in Pakistan’s national data ecosystem,” the government’s information department said in a statement. It added that the survey “provides comprehensive insights to review the social and economic conditions of the country and serves as a key tool for evidence-based planning and policymaking.”
Conducted quarterly and wrapping up in June 2025, the exercise marked Pakistan’s first fully digital HIES following the 2023 digital census. Enumerators relied on an integrated enterprise resource planning system for data collection, task management and real-time monitoring.
Among the standout findings: Mobile or smartphone ownership reached 96% of households, up sharply and underscoring the rapid spread of connectivity. Gender parity in primary education improved to 96% from 92%, signaling incremental steps toward closing longstanding gaps. Health metrics offered brighter spots too. Neonatal mortality fell to 35 per 1,000 live births from 41, while infant mortality dropped to 47 from 60. The total fertility rate edged down to 3.6 children per woman from 3.7.
Clean fuel usage, for heating, lighting and cooking via sources like natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, biogas, solar and electricity, climbed to 38%. That reflects a push toward sustainable energy amid global climate pressures.
On the economic front, average household income rose to Rs82,179, with consumption at Rs79,150. Food accounted for 37% of spending, followed by housing and fuel at 26%, restaurants and hotels at 6.63%, clothing and footwear at 6.28%, and transport at 6.21%.The figures come against a backdrop of persistent food insecurity.
A separate Pakistan Panel Household Survey from 2024 found that just 19.5% of households could always afford desired meals, with 30% sometimes skipping three meals a day. Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, speaking at the launch event in Islamabad, hailed the report as a “major milestone towards data-driven governance and evidence-based policymaking.”
He said his ministry had cleared yearslong backlogs in statistical work, completing surveys stalled for six or seven years. The data will bolster policymaking, research and business planning, Iqbal said. “This survey is a milestone for the country,” he remarked.
Iqbal placed the findings in the context of recent economic turmoil. Pakistan endured a string of shocks starting in 2018, when policy shifts disrupted growth built up from 2013 to 2018, he said. Mismanagement spiked imports to about $80 billion in 2022, ballooning the current-account deficit and draining reserves, which fueled currency volatility and stubborn inflation. “There was no economic plan or direction; only reactive measures, and retaliatory measures do not run an economy,” Iqbal said.
The Covid-19 pandemic and global supply disruptions compounded the woes. The lower middle class bore the brunt, with food inflation and utility bills eating into incomes and squeezing other outlays, he added. Still, Iqbal struck an upbeat note. “Despite the turbulence, the economy had now moved past the worst phase and was on a recovery path.” First-quarter gross domestic product expanded 3.71%, which he called “very encouraging,” and could hit 4% or more if sustained. But he warned against fleeting, import-fueled booms. “We do not want short-lived growth that crashes due to foreign exchange shortages.” Growth must sync with exports, remittances, foreign direct investment and other inflows, he said.
The government is advancing prudent policies and International Monetary Fund-backed reforms for stability and durable expansion, Iqbal noted. Social gains, while welcome, fall short of needs. Literacy inched up to about 63% from 60%, well below global norms. “Under an education emergency, we must raise literacy to 90 percent in the next five to six years,” he said, urging collective action from governments, civil society and citizens.
Iqbal tied the survey to the Uraan Pakistan agenda, a five-year economic transformation plan rolled out in 2024 to revive growth through targeted steps. The data underscores the need to speed socio-economic advances while fostering stability, he said. The minister called for redirecting national focus from political clashes to core challenges like child stunting, literacy and universal primary enrollment. “The future belongs to nations that prioritise their economy and socio-economic development,” Iqbal said, emphasizing that robust foundations underpin political steadiness.
The minister invited media, opposition, private sector and civil society to leverage the survey for dialogue and teamwork. “We can only achieve our goals through cooperation as Team Pakistan,” he said. Describing the HIES as “an invitation to think and act,” Iqbal reaffirmed commitment to overhauling indicators under Uraan Pakistan and targeting a $1 trillion economy by 2035.
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