A person earning Rs121,000 a month ranks among Pakistan’s highest-earning 10%, according to a World Inequality Database (WID) report that also details widespread poverty and pressure on household incomes.
The income thresholds for the top earners
The report places 90% of Pakistan’s population below the Rs121,000 monthly income threshold. At Rs189,000 a month, a person falls within the highest-earning 5%, whose incomes meet or exceed that amount.
Millions live below daily income thresholds
Alongside the monthly earnings figures, the report sets out how many Pakistanis live below three daily income levels. The figures cover incomes ranging from less than $3 to less than $8.30 a day.
- More than 57.6 million people, or 23% of the population, earn less than $3 (Rs831) a day.
- Over 120 million people, representing 47.9% of the population, have daily incomes below $4.20 (Rs1,176).
- Some 218.8 million Pakistanis earn less than $8.30 (Rs2,300) a day.
Rural poverty exceeds the urban rate
Poverty is more prevalent in rural areas, where the report puts the rate at 56.4%, compared with 34.4% in urban areas. It identifies inflation, slower economic activity and declining incomes as major factors behind poverty.
Rising food and energy costs, including electricity and gas, have added to the strain on household budgets, the report says. Low-income families face particular difficulty as these expenses increase.
