Lahore: Nearly a third of households in Punjab have faced disasters or hardships over the past two years, with one in four resorting to loans to manage economic shocks, according to the latest data. Despite the need, social protection programs are reaching only a small portion of the population, highlighting a significant gap in support systems.
According to Gilani Research Foundation, data from the Punjab Health and Population Survey (PHPS) 2024-25 Baseline Survey Report reveals that 30.3% of households reported experiencing hardships, predominantly economic shocks, which affected 20.4% of households. This trend is more pronounced in rural areas, where 34% of households reported hardships compared to 25.1% in urban areas. Borrowing has emerged as the primary coping mechanism, with 25.6% of households taking out loans, predominantly to maintain stable spending.
The survey, which covers 24,540 households across Punjab’s 36 districts, also highlights a disparity in social protection coverage. The federal government’s Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) reaches 17.4% of households, with rural areas receiving double the coverage rate of urban areas. However, health insurance coverage remains low, with fewer than 10% of households benefiting from any form of health insurance, and the provincial Sehat Sahulat Program covering just 5.6% of households.
District-level data reveals significant disparities, with southern Punjab districts like Khanewal and Bahawalnagar reporting the highest rates of hardship. These areas also have the lowest formal protection coverage, exacerbating their vulnerability. The findings underscore the need for enhanced social protection measures, particularly in high-hardship districts, to prevent households from spiraling into debt due to recurring economic shocks.
The PHPS 2024-25, conducted by the Bureau of Statistics Punjab in collaboration with the Population Council and Population Center Pakistan, serves as a baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of the World Bank-supported National Health Support Program and Punjab Family Planning Program. The data highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions to address the socioeconomic disparities across Punjab, particularly in the most vulnerable districts.