Islamabad: The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) has unveiled landmark findings from the Pakistan Panel Household Survey (PPHS) 2024 - the country's only long-term, nationally representative household survey tracking economic and social changes for over two decades.
During an evidence-packed seminar titled 'Pakistan Panel Household Survey (PPHS): Key Insights and Implications for Policymaking,' PIDE's Dean of Research, Dr. Shujaat Farooq, presented key results, while the session was moderated by Dr. Karim Khan, Dean Academics at PIDE.
Dr. Farooq revealed that 76 percent of the households surveyed in 2010 were successfully re-tracked in 2024, a major achievement in longitudinal research. Supported by RASTA-DDR and conducted with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the survey expanded from 16 to 30 districts, now covering major cities including Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad, and Peshawar.
This year's wave, the first fully digital panel survey, covered 8,621 households nationwide and introduced new modules on learning poverty, care work, disability, financial literacy, and child well-being.
The findings highlight both progress and persistent challenges:
Education: Literacy has improved, but 34% of Grade 3-8 students cannot solve Grade-2 level division. 71% of parents cite financial barriers as the main reason for dropouts.
Labour Market: Male participation fell slightly from 80% to 78%, while female participation rose modestly from 23.7% to 26.9%, though women remain concentrated in informal sectors.
Health: Antenatal care coverage increased to 80.9%, and skilled birth attendance to 88.5%, while home births dropped to 11.6%.
Nutrition: Stunting declined from 60% to 43%, and underweight children from 50% to 33%, though wasting rose slightly.
Poverty: Using the Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) method, poverty stands at 30.5% nationwide (36.6% rural, 17.8% urban). Inequality widened as upper-income consumption grew faster.
Food Security: Only 19.5% of households can always afford desired meals; 30% sometimes skip meals due to inflation.
Social Protection: Coverage rose to 22-23% of households via BISP, Zakat, and microfinance, compared to 10% in 2010.
The PPHS 2024 also indicates significant intergenerational mobility - university graduates now make up 9% of the younger generation versus 1% of their fathers, and 81% of families now own inherited parental homes.
PIDE emphasized that findings will guide policies on reducing learning poverty, boosting women's economic inclusion, improving job quality, and expanding social protection.
Dr. Farooq announced that the PPHS 2024 microdata and a detailed 15-chapter, 200-page technical report will soon be publicly available for researchers, supporting evidence-based policymaking.
PIDE reaffirmed its commitment, through the RASTA program and the Planning Commission, to strengthen Pakistan's data-driven development agenda.