More than 38 percent of Pakistan’s population faces overlapping disadvantages in health, education and living standards, according to the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) latest Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).

The report puts Pakistan’s multidimensional poverty rate at 38.3 percent, compared with 16.4 percent in India and 14.9 percent in Bangladesh. However, the estimates are based on household surveys conducted in different years, meaning they do not represent a direct comparison for the same period.

Among Pakistanis classified as multidimensionally poor, the average intensity of deprivation stands at 51.7 percent. Another 12.9 percent of the population is considered vulnerable to multidimensional poverty.

Unlike income-based measures, the index examines several forms of deprivation at once, including poor nutrition, child mortality, limited schooling, inadequate sanitation, unsafe drinking water, lack of electricity, poor housing and limited household assets.

Global Poverty Rises for the First Time in 15 Years

The UNDP report estimates that 1.2 billion people worldwide now live in multidimensional poverty, marking the first increase in the global total in 15 years. The figure is 51.5 million higher than the previous estimate.

Children account for more than half of those affected, with 617 million living in multidimensional poverty. Around 83 percent of people experiencing such deprivation live in rural areas.

The findings show that poverty extends beyond a lack of income, often involving several disadvantages that make it harder for families to improve their living conditions.

South Asia accounts for at least one-third of global deprivations in nutrition, housing and years of schooling. The region also has 150 million poor people living in households where a school-aged child is not attending school.

According to the report, 19.3 percent of South Asia’s population lives in multidimensional poverty, while another 18.4 percent is vulnerable to it.

Living standards account for 36.3 percent of multidimensional poverty in the region, followed by education at 33.7 percent and health at 29.9 percent.

These overlapping disadvantages can reinforce one another, leaving families struggling with poor health, limited educational opportunities and inadequate access to basic services.

“The rise in poverty should be a wake-up call for the world,” UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo said.

He added that 1.2 billion people face interconnected hardships, including hunger, missed schooling and a lack of clean water or electricity.