Only one in seven Pakistanis see economy as strong

Only 25% say country is on right track; investment confidence at 15%, job security at 16%, while inflation remains top concern at 69% and unemployment follows closely Only one in seven Pakistanis, or 14% of respondents, now believe the country's economy is strong, with the proportion falling from about one in five four months ago, while electricity load-shedding has entered the top five public concerns, according to a new Ipsos survey. The perception of economic strength fell by six percentage points from the previous quarter, with relatively higher confidence among men, adults, upper-income groups and residents of Punjab and Sindh. One in four respondents expects the economy to strengthen, with optimism relatively higher among urban and affluent respondents and those in Balochistan. Inflation remained the biggest concern at 69%, despite declining by nine percentage points, followed by unemployment, poverty and electricity prices. Concern over electricity prices rose nine percentage points to 35%, while load-shedding became the fifth-largest concern, overtaking additional taxation. Another Ipsos survey on fuel management showed that only one in three Pakistanis believed the government had effectively ensured fuel availability. Two in five respondents said the government had managed fuel prices ineffectively, compared with three in 10 who considered its performance effective. The deterioration in perceptions of the economy was also reflected in investment and employment confidence. Only 15% of respondents were confident about investing, while 16% felt secure in their jobs. Job-security confidence returned to the level recorded in August 2024. Only one in four Pakistanis believed the country was moving in the right direction. The proportion stood at 31% in Balochistan, 26% in Punjab, 21% in Sindh and 14% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Confidence in household spending also remained weak, with only one in 10 respondents comfortable making household purchases, although the figure improved from the previous quarter. Meanwhile, the proportion of respondents positive about their personal financial situation fell 12 percentage points to 19%. Ipsos Pakistan Managing Director Abdul Sattar described the third-quarter picture as one of cautious recovery rather than full confidence, saying economic pressures continued to dominate public concerns even as expectations at the personal level showed some improvement. He said weak confidence in investment, major purchases and job security indicated that Pakistanis were not yet ready to translate that optimism into stronger financial commitments.