Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Pakistan
Pakistan: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day was 47.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Pakistan, 1987–2024
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Pakistan stood at 47.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Pakistan peaked at 91.1% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 44.7%, in 2018.
That places Pakistan 19th out of 120 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 91.1% | — |
| 1990 | 90.9% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 73.6% | -19.0% |
| 1998 | 74.9% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 80.0% | +6.9% |
| 2004 | 68.5% | -14.4% |
| 2005 | 69.0% | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 64.7% | -6.3% |
| 2010 | 57.2% | -11.5% |
| 2011 | 55.9% | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 49.3% | -11.7% |
| 2015 | 44.8% | -9.2% |
| 2018 | 44.7% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 47.9% | +7.1% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 47.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.5%, 2.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 47.9% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 6.6%, 7.3× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 91.1% | 91.1% | 91.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 79.8% | 73.6% | 90.9% | 3 |
| 2000s | 70.6% | 64.7% | 80.0% | 4 |
| 2010s | 50.4% | 44.7% | 57.2% | 5 |
| 2020s | 47.9% | 47.9% | 47.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More reference data data for Pakistan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 20.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 61.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 61.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 20.3 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 91.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 260 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 10.79 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Pakistan?
- Poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Pakistan was 47.9% in 2024, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 91.1% in 1987.
- What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.7% in 2018.
- How does Pakistan rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day?
- Pakistan ranks 19th out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $4.20 per day.