The World Bank has reported that Pakistan’s national poverty rate, which had fallen steadily from 64.3% in 2001-02 to 18.3%, has been rising again since 2020. According to the report, the current poverty rate stands at 25.3%, marking a 7% increase over the past three years. In 2022, the poverty rate was 18.3%, which rose to 24.8% in 2023-24 and further to 25.3% in 2024-25. The report highlights that, despite the absence of household surveys after 2018-19, non-agricultural income helped reduce poverty, contributing 57% to the decline, while agriculture contributed 18%. Key reasons for rising poverty include COVID-19, inflation, floods, and macroeconomic pressures, along with a consumption-based growth model that initially succeeded but has now reached its limits.