A monthly income of Rs121,000 is enough to place an individual in Pakistan among the top 10 percent of earners in the country, according to World Inequality Database (WID).
The figures suggest that people earning Rs121,000 per month earn more than 90% of Pakistanis, while those with a monthly income of Rs189,000 can enter the top 5% of highest earners.
However, these income thresholds come against the backdrop of widespread poverty and economic challenges in Pakistan.
According to a World Bank report, Pakistan’s poverty rate stood at 29 per cent during fiscal year 2024-25, with approximately 72.6 million people living below the poverty line in 2024.
The report further revealed that more than 57.6 million Pakistanis, representing 23 per cent of the population, lived on less than $3 a day.
Meanwhile, over 120 million people, or 47.9 per cent of the population, had daily incomes below $4.20.
The situation appears even more challenging at the $8.30 daily income threshold, with approximately 218.8 million people, equivalent to 87.1 per cent of the population, earning below that level.
The World Bank also recorded Pakistan’s multidimensional poverty rate at 27.1 per cent in 2024.
Poverty levels remained significantly higher in rural areas, where the rate stood at 56.4 per cent, compared with 34.4 per cent in urban areas.
The report identified inflation, economic slowdown and declining incomes as major factors contributing to poverty.
Rising prices of food items and energy have further strained household budgets, particularly among low-income families.
