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Using household surveys for 2008 and 2011, a multidimensional destitution measure is constructed for Pakistan's most populated province – Punjab. Using a non-monetary framework for dimensions of health, education and standard of living, the study paints a temporal picture of the extremely impoverished households in districts and towns, while highlighting the impact of the destructive 2010 floods. Results reveal the existence of pervasive destitution, with half of the multidimensionally poor households also identified as destitute. Destitution is higher for rural as compared to urban households, while the geography of destitution highlights its concentration in south-west Punjab, providing insights for targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is a big threat to prosperity in developing countries like Pakistan. Alleviating poverty needs concerted efforts including how to measure and analyze poverty. Therefore, this paper employs synthetic panel technique and uses repeated cross-sections household survey dataset (Household Integrated and Economic Survey (HIES)) of Pakistan for 2010–11 and 2015–16, to derive poverty bounds for Pakistan. The findings of the paper suggest that 17% of population still remains in poverty in 2015–16 as they were in 2010–11. They don't move in or out of poverty. In the same periods 19% population affected by poverty. The 2.5% poor's of 2010–11 moves out of poverty in 2015–16. This constitutes the first attempt to provide an insight into poverty dynamics in Pakistan using the available survey data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess household poverty, sanitation and hygiene practices, and food security in both urban and rural settlements of district Peshawar. Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study from March 2019 to October 2019 in the urban and rural households of Peshawar, KPK. Using stratified random sampling, 554 households (HH) having children and young adolescents of age 5-19 years, adult men > 19 -- 62 years, and adult women >19 - 62 years were included in this study. Data was collected using comprehensive tool comprised of all validated questionnaires and was analyzed using SPSS Version 24.0. Results: Within the urban clusters, the maximum number of households (n=29) were from Gari Baloch and the minimum number of households (n=7) were from Gulberg. In the rural clusters, the maximum number of households surveyed (n=41) were from Lamara, minimum(n=21) was from Chargula. The average age of household heads was 44.5 ±12.5 with mean age slightly higher in urban areas (45.1 ±11.8) compared to 44.0 ±13.2 in rural areas. The mean poverty score was 56.8 (±11.6) with 72.1% non-poor households, and 94.2% households being food secure. Handwashing practices were highly prevalent among all the HH, however, handwashing practices before eating were comparatively lower in all HH (45.2%), lowest (37.8%) among rural households. Conclusion: The findings of the study revealed both non-poor and food secure households with satisfactory water, hygiene and sanitation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty eradication has become one of the main agenda of development policies all around the globe. Besidesmanypoverty eradication programs, still, developing countries are trying hard to cope with poverty. Based on a household survey of 480 farm households, this study assesses the extent, degree of rural poverty among farm households in different districts of Punjab province, Pakistan. The study used Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) approach to calculate level and extent of poverty and logistic regression method to identify the determinants of rural poverty among farm households in Punjab, Pakistan. The study revealed exciting findings and showed that more than half of the farm households in the study districts are living under the poverty line of $2 a day of them about one-tenth are earning even less than $1 a day. The study also found that use of different income sources in addition to agriculture not only reduced the level of poverty but also help farm households in reducing the depth of poverty. The study also found an inverse effect of education, off-farm income, farming area, annual unearned income, access to credit, number of animals and adaptation to various risks on poverty status of farm households. Further distance from input market and dependency ratio were positively associated with poverty status of farm households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The current emphasis in the microfinance industry is a shift from donor-funded to commercially sustainable operations. This article evaluates the impact of access to microloans from the Khushhali Bank—Pakistan’s first and largest microfinance bank which operates on commercial principles. Using primary data from a detailed household survey of nearly 3,000 borrower and non-borrower households, a difference in difference approach is used to test for the impact of access to loans. Once the results are disaggregated between rural and urban areas there is a positive impact in rural areas on food expenditure and on some social indicators such as the health of children and female empowerment. These impacts are observed even in very poor households. These findings suggest that commercially-oriented microfinance and the millennium development goals are not incompatible, given a supportive environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study comprises two parts. Based on per adult monthly household expenditure, it first divides the population of Pakistan into four categories: non-poor, vulnerable, poor, and extremely poor. The individuals? demographics, household composition and residential characteristics within each economic category are discussed. The second part of the paper aims to identify the characteristics and determinants of these four categories of poverty status. A multinomial logit model is estimated for this purpose. The study is based on two nationwide surveys, the 2001/02 Pakistan Integrated Household Survey and the 2004/05 Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Statistics. The results of the study can be helpful for a fuller characterization of poverty dynamics and for informing policy formulation to reduce poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]