Poverty ratio decline almost 50pc during one decade: Economic Survey

ISLAMABAD: The poverty ratio has declined almost 50 per cent during one decade indicating its ratio as 24.3 per cent in 2015-16 from 50.4 per cent in 2005-06.

According to Economic Survey released here on Thursday Pakistan's poverty headcount has witnessed a persistent decline both at national and regional levels.

Poverty in both rural and urban areas has also been on the declining trend with poverty headcount of 12.5 per cent in Urban and 30.7 per cent in rural areas in 2015-16.

The decline in poverty is more pronounced in urban areas than rural areas.

Targeted poverty reduction programmes like BISP,  relative  political  stability,  peace  and tranquility,  strong  recovery  from  low  GDP growth rate of 1.7 per cent in 2008-09 to 4.5 per cent in 2015-16.

Economic growth are some of the important causes that can be attributed to a significant decline in the poverty headcount since 2005-06.

In 2015-16, 24.3,12.5, 30.7 Planning Commission Committee estimations declining trends are shared at national as well as urban and rural areas.

While comparing with 2011-12 largest percentage decline in poverty headcount was  observed in year 2013-14 when national poverty headcount was declined by 6.8 percentage points with 6.2 percentage points decline in Urban and 7.5 percentage points in rural areas.

Poverty headcount has declined by 5.7 percentage points in urban areas and 4.9 percentage points in rural areas between 2014 and 2016, thereby leading to an overall decline of 5.2 percentage points decline in incidence of national poverty headcount.

Pakistan Economic Survey 2017-18, 246 the decline in poverty incidence is phenomenal in Pakistan since 2007-08 and normal inter-survey decline is around 7-percentage point with only exception is 2010-11.

The inter-survey decline in poverty headcount was insignificant in 2011-12 compared to 2010-11survey.