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Nearly half of the MENAAP’s poorest population lives in Pakistan: World Bank
According to the report, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen together account for another 47% of the region’s population living below the same poverty line.
The World Bank says nearly half of the people in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan region (MENAAP) who live on less than $3 a day are in Pakistan.
In its latest economic report, released on Tuesday, the bank said that 48% of the region’s population living on less than $3 a day is in Pakistan.
According to the report, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen together account for another 47% of the region’s population living below the same poverty line.
The World Bank said the rise in poverty across the region has been driven largely by the situation in Pakistan. MENAAP is now the only region in the world where poverty remains above pre-COVID-19 levels and continues to rise.
Pakistan’s poverty rate increased by 6.4 percentage points between 2018-19 and 2024-25, based on the $3-a-day poverty line. Under the $4.20-a-day poverty line, poverty increased by 3.2 percentage points, pushing the rate above 20%.
The World Bank attributed the worsening situation to the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread floods in 2022, high inflation, the depreciation of Pakistan’s currency and prolonged economic reforms, which it said have reduced household incomes and job opportunities.
The report said that poverty rates based on the $3-a-day threshold have approached or exceeded 20% in Djibouti, Pakistan, Syria and Yemen.
The World Bank said the MENAAP region now accounts for 14% of the world’s poor population, making it the second-largest region in terms of poverty after Sub-Saharan Africa.