Islamabad, March 28 -- Poverty in Pakistan has risen sharply to 43.5 per cent, significantly higher than official estimates, according to a report by the country's Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC).

As reported by The Express Tribune, the SPDC findings indicate a 14.6 percentage point gap compared to the 28.9 per cent poverty rate estimated by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and the Planning Commission.

The report highlights that urban areas have been disproportionately affected, with poverty increasing more rapidly in cities than in rural regions. National poverty rose from 36.6 per cent in 2018-19 to 43.5 per cent in 2024-25, pushing an estimated 27 million more people below the poverty line during this period, The E...