Islamabad, Jan 25 (IANS) Pakistan is struggling to afford food and education. A 20-year comparison of household consumption in Pakistan showcases a structural reallocation of funds towards fixing living costs instead of spending it on food, according to a new poll released by Gallup Pakistan, a report has stated.

Data from the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) reveals that the share of money spent by households on food reduced from 43 per cent to 37 per cent between 2005 and 2025. During the same period, housing and utilities have increased from 15 per cent to a quarter of household budgets, according to an editorial in Pakistan's leading daily The News International.

An editorial in The News International stated, "Gallup analysis finds that, when viewed alongside weaker real incomes and evidence of declining food quantities, this trend likely reflects households cutting back on food consumption to cope with rising fixed expenses, like housing and utilities, rather than food becoming more affordable. This is also not the only analysis to find that Pakistanis are cutting back on food."

The HIES 2024-25 survey revealed that people facing moderate-to-severe food insecurity had increased from one in six to one in four between 2018-19 and 2024-25, making it harder for residents of Pakistan to survive in the present and the prospects for future also do not look bright.

"According to the Institute of Social and Policy Science (I-SAP)’s 15th annual report on ‘Public Financing of Education’ families are now bearing the majority of spending on education; a first in the nation’s history. Of the Rs5.03 trillion total cost of education, household spending accounts for Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 2.8 trillion while the public sector pitches in PKR 2.23 trillion," an editorial detailed in The News International.

The household spending comprises Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1.31 trillion spent on paying private school fees, PKR 613 billion on tuition and shadow education and PKR 878 billion in other expenses. The disparity comes amid people preferring private education system for their children and major issues related to the adequacy of the public education system.

Around 20 million children remain out of school and it appears that people who can afford to send their children to private schools and tutors are the ones who will be able to receive education in Pakistan, according to the editorial in The News International. Education cannot be considered a luxury in nations that are serious about surviving and competing in the 21st century. Without increase in public spending on education, Pakistan will not be able to build the human capital required for the digital era and improve the living standard of its residents.

--IANS

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