Lahore: Daily wages constitute the primary income source for approximately one in three households across Punjab, according to data from the Punjab Health and Population Survey (PHPS) 2024-25. The report highlights a significant economic divide between rural and urban areas, with 33.8% of households across the province relying on daily wages. This dependency is more pronounced in rural areas, where 39.4% of households depend on such earnings, compared to 26.0% in urban settings.

According to Gallup Pakistan, the data underscores the structural differences in the economic landscape of Punjab. Rural households primarily rely on wage labor and agriculture, whereas urban households are more dependent on services, private employment, and business income. Despite these differences, a significant portion of both rural and urban economies remains informal, leaving a majority of households without the security of permanent employment. The survey, which covered 24,540 households across 36 districts, reveals that 61.5% of rural household income sources are derived from daily wages and agriculture, highlighting rural Punjab’s reliance on informal and subsistence-linked earnings.

The survey further shows that private contract services dominate urban income at 17.9%, more than double the rate in rural areas. Business without employees is also more prevalent in urban areas, with a rate of 17.2%, compared to 9.8% in rural regions. Formal employment categories collectively cover only 14.5% of Punjab households’ primary income, indicating that approximately 85% of households depend on informal or non-permanent income sources. The findings underscore the vulnerability of Punjab’s economic structure, where formal employment is limited, and many households face income insecurity.