Pakistan is falling behind its regional counterparts in exports and investment in key sectors such as education and health. The country’s export-to-GDP ratio and spending on social services remain significantly lower than those of neighboring nations.

Pakistan’s exports currently account for just 10 percent of its GDP, a figure that has steadily declined from 13 percent in 2010. In comparison, India’s exports stand at 22 percent of its GDP, while Bangladesh and Sri Lanka report export-to-GDP ratios of 13 percent and 27 percent, respectively. On average, other regional countries achieve exports equivalent to 27 percent of their GDP.

The country’s performance in social sectors is equally concerning. Pakistan spends only 0.8 percent of its GDP on health services, falling behind India’s 1.1 percent and Sri Lanka’s 1.9 percent. Similarly, in education, Pakistan allocates just 1.9 percent of its GDP, less than half of India’s 4.1 percent expenditure on the sector.