ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s national literacy rate has increased from 60 percent to 63 percent, while the proportion of out-of-school children has declined from 30 percent to 28 percent.
According to reports, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has released the results of the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024–25 following its successful completion.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, formally inaugurated the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024–25. The inauguration ceremony was held today at the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.
The event was hosted by Chief Statistician Dr. Naeem Azhar (Sitara-e-Imtiaz), Muhammad Sarwar Gondal (Sitara-e-Imtiaz), Member (SS/RM), and Rabia Awan, Deputy Director General (PSLM/PCS). Key stakeholders, members of the technical committee, and senior officials from the Ministry of Planning and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics attended the ceremony.
The survey revealed that household-level internet access has increased from 34 percent to 70 percent, while the proportion of individuals using the internet has risen from 17 percent to 57 percent.
According to the survey, full immunization coverage (based on records) has increased from 68 percent to 73 percent, and the use of clean fuel has also risen, from 35 percent to 38 percent.
In his address, Ahsan Iqbal said that the Ministry of Planning and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics have been successfully transformed into modern, data-driven institutions, which he described as a highly encouraging development.
He stated that the Household Integrated Economic Survey will now provide researchers with greater opportunities for meaningful analysis, while offering the business community valuable information to support better decision-making and improved productivity.
Referring to past economic challenges, the minister said that Pakistan’s economy suffered its first major setback in 2018, which slowed the growth momentum of previous years. The survey results clearly show that economic growth stalled at that stage and the economy began to decline.
He further said that poor planning in 2022 caused irreparable damage to the economy. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the world entered a global crisis whose effects were also felt in Pakistan, particularly impacting the middle class, as reflected in the survey results. However, he emphasized that the period of crisis has now ended and Pakistan is steadily moving toward economic recovery.
It is worth noting that this survey provides a comprehensive overview of the country’s socio-economic conditions and plays an important role in evidence-based planning and policymaking. The Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) has been monitoring socio-economic indicators at national and provincial levels since 1963.
Previously, the survey was conducted in 2018–19, providing detailed data on income and consumption trends. HIES also supports monitoring progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), covering 31 out of the 62 indicators reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
For the first time since the 2023 census, the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024–25 was conducted entirely through digital methods across Pakistan.
Field activities for the survey were completed on a quarterly basis in June 2025, covering 32,000 households nationwide at both national and provincial levels. A fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system was used for data collection and real-time monitoring.
