ISLAMABAD: The Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024–25 has revealed a sharp rise in digital connectivity across Pakistan, with the number of individual internet users increasing by 57 per cent and household internet access doubling from 34 per cent to 70 per cent.
Released on Thursday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the annual survey provides a comprehensive overview of the country’s social and economic conditions to support evidence-based policymaking at national and provincial levels. The results were unveiled during a ceremony at the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives in Islamabad.
According to a statement issued by the Press Information Department (PID), HIES 2024–25 marks a major milestone in Pakistan’s national data ecosystem as the first-ever fully digital Household Integrated Economic Survey conducted after the Digital Population and Housing Census 2023.
The survey’s fieldwork was completed in June 2025 on a quarterly basis, covering 32,000 households nationwide and ensuring provincial and national representation. A fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system was deployed for data collection, task management and real-time monitoring.
Key findings
The survey shows a dramatic increase in digital access, with the proportion of individuals using the internet rising from 17 per cent to 57 per cent. Household mobile or smartphone ownership climbed to 96 per cent, while household internet access surged to 70 per cent.
On education and health indicators, gender parity at the primary level improved from 92 per cent to 96 per cent. The neonatal mortality rate declined from 41 to 35 per thousand live births, while infant mortality fell from 60 to 47 per thousand. The total fertility rate also decreased slightly, from 3.7 to 3.6 children per woman.
The use of clean fuels — including natural gas, LPG, biogas, solar energy and electricity — for heating, lighting and cooking increased to 38 per cent.
PBS data showed that average monthly household income rose to Rs82,179, while consumption increased to Rs79,150. Food accounted for the largest share of household expenditure at 37 per cent, followed by housing and fuel at 26 per cent. Spending on restaurants and hotels stood at 6.63 per cent, clothing and footwear at 6.28 per cent, and transport at 6.21 per cent.
The findings come amid broader concerns about food security. Earlier results from the Pakistan Panel Household Survey 2024 indicated that only 19.5 per cent of households could consistently afford desired meals, while 30 per cent sometimes went without three meals a day.
‘Milestone for data-driven governance’
Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal described HIES 2024–25 as a “major milestone towards data-driven governance and evidence-based policymaking”.
Addressing the launch ceremony, he said the Planning Ministry had cleared long-pending statistical backlogs and completed surveys that had remained stalled for six to seven years. He noted that updated and reliable data would strengthen policymaking and help researchers, businesses and youth undertake informed analysis and planning.
Reflecting on the survey’s broader implications, Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan had endured multiple economic shocks over the past several years, including policy disruptions after 2018, the Covid-19 pandemic and global commodity shocks. He said mismanagement — particularly a surge in imports to nearly $80 billion in 2022 — led to severe external imbalances, currency instability and prolonged inflation.
The minister said the survey showed that the lower middle class had borne the brunt of these challenges, as food inflation and rising utility costs consumed most of their income.
Despite these pressures, he expressed optimism that the economy had moved beyond its worst phase, citing GDP growth of 3.71 per cent in the first quarter as encouraging. He said growth could reach 4 per cent or higher if the current trajectory was sustained, while cautioning against short-lived, consumption-led growth driven by excessive imports.
On social development, Ahsan Iqbal acknowledged modest gains in literacy and health outcomes but stressed that progress remained inadequate. He called for an “education emergency” to raise literacy to 90 per cent over the next five to six years.
Linking the findings to the government’s Uraan Pakistan agenda — a five-year National Economic Transformation Plan launched in 2024 — the minister said the survey reinforced the urgency of accelerating socio-economic development while ensuring stability.
Describing HIES as “an invitation to think and act”, he urged policymakers, media, the private sector and civil society to use the data as a foundation for constructive debate and collective action towards achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2035.
