42% Pakistanis have nominal access to quality food: Govt. Survey
LAHORE With their low-income level, at least 42 per cent population of Pakistan, totalling around 71 million, has nominal access to the average per capita consumption of quality food essential for balanced diet and better health.
The Economic Survey of Pakistan 2011 states that the annual per capita consumption of pulses in Pakistan is 6.8kg (18.5gm per day); cereals, 158.7kg (435gm per day); sugar, 26.5kg (72gm per day); milk, 189 litre (0.511 litre per day); meat, 20.5kg (56gm per day); edible oil, 12.6 litre (34.5 gm per day); and 6 dozen eggs (0.2 egg per day).
It is obviously impossible for a poor person earning Rs106 per day ($1.25) or Rs3224 per month to consume the above-listed edibles.
Rs3,224 per capita means that in an average family of about six people the sole bread earner would have to earn Rs2,100 ($25) per month to remain above poverty level.
The minimum official wage in Pakistan is $82. It is pertinent to mention that the poor rarely get any job that carries higher than minimum wage. The main reason is that most of the workers from poor families are illiterate and have low or no skills at all.
There are many families that have only one working hand. Even if there were two workers in a family they would not be able to lift the family out of poverty.
To live above poverty line but remain poor, half of the family would have to earn minimum monthly income.
Oman Tribune - the edge of knowledge
LAHORE With their low-income level, at least 42 per cent population of Pakistan, totalling around 71 million, has nominal access to the average per capita consumption of quality food essential for balanced diet and better health.
The Economic Survey of Pakistan 2011 states that the annual per capita consumption of pulses in Pakistan is 6.8kg (18.5gm per day); cereals, 158.7kg (435gm per day); sugar, 26.5kg (72gm per day); milk, 189 litre (0.511 litre per day); meat, 20.5kg (56gm per day); edible oil, 12.6 litre (34.5 gm per day); and 6 dozen eggs (0.2 egg per day).
It is obviously impossible for a poor person earning Rs106 per day ($1.25) or Rs3224 per month to consume the above-listed edibles.
Rs3,224 per capita means that in an average family of about six people the sole bread earner would have to earn Rs2,100 ($25) per month to remain above poverty level.
The minimum official wage in Pakistan is $82. It is pertinent to mention that the poor rarely get any job that carries higher than minimum wage. The main reason is that most of the workers from poor families are illiterate and have low or no skills at all.
There are many families that have only one working hand. Even if there were two workers in a family they would not be able to lift the family out of poverty.
To live above poverty line but remain poor, half of the family would have to earn minimum monthly income.
Oman Tribune - the edge of knowledge


