ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday unveiled the country’s first-ever digital House­hold Integrated Economic Survey (HIES), noting that connectivity has surged as internet access is now available to 70 per cent of households, while the share of individuals using the internet has increased to 57pc.

The Ministry of Planning said the HIES 2024-25 field operation, conducted quarterly and covering 32,000 households, was completed in June 2025.

Key findings of the survey, an IMF conditionality to complete before Dec 31, 2025, were presented at an event chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and attended by top officials of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and other stakeholders.

Digital access

According to the survey, household internet access increased from 34pc in 2018-19 to 70pc. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded the highest household penetration at 77pc, while Sindh was the lowest at 67pc.

Household ownership of mobile phones or smartphones edged up from 95pc to 96pc, with Balochistan at 98pc and Sindh again trailing at 95pc.

At the individual level, internet use surged from 17pc to 57pc, with KP reporting the highest rate (56pc) and Balochistan the lowest (43pc). Individual ownership of mobile phones or smartphones rose from 45pc to 50pc, peaking at 51pc in KP and falling to 42pc in Balochistan. The survey also recorded a gender gap in individual ownership: 69pc among men and 31pc among women.

Mobile or smartphone usage stood at 92pc compared to 91pc in 2018-19, with Punjab at 92pc and Balochistan at 82pc. The survey said gender parity in digital access had improved nationally to 57pc, though rural female access in Balochistan remained the lowest at 28pc, up from 2pc in 2018-19.

Housing, water, sanitation

The use of clean fuels — including natural gas, LPG, biogas, solar energy and electricity — for cooking, heating and lighting rose from 35pc to 38pc.

Access to tap water increased from 18pc to 22pc, while the use of filtration plants in households rose from 9pc to 10pc.

Sanitation indicators also improved, with access to flush toilets rising from 80pc to 89pc — 98pc in urban areas and 82pc in rural areas. Households without toilet facilities declined from 12pc to 7pc.

According to the survey, hybrid lighting at 11pc and solar-only lighting at 7pc, with overall household lighting access at 96pc.

Income and consumption

The survey reported a nominal rise of 97.81pc in average household income, from Rs41,545 to Rs82,179, while household consumption rose by 113pc, from Rs37,159 to Rs79,150.

Food accounted for 37pc of household consumption, followed by housing and fuel (26pc). Other major expenditure categories included restaurants and hotels (6.63pc), clothing and footwear (6.28pc) and transport (6.21pc).

Population welfare

The country’s total fertility rate declined to 3.6 births per woman in 2024-25 from 3.7 in 2018-19. The contraceptive prevalence rate rose to 38pc from 34pc, with Punjab the highest at 43pc and Balochistan the lowest at 22pc.

The proportion of women aged 15-49 making informed decisions about contraceptive use and reproductive healthcare increased to 56pc from 53pc, while the adolescent birth rate among girls aged 15-19 fell to 48 per 1,000 women from 54 per 1,000 in 2018-19.

Health

The survey reported improvements in key health indicators. The neonatal mortality rate declined from 41 to 35 per 1,000 live births, while the infant mortality rate fell from 60 to 47 per 1,000 live births.

Record-based full immunisation coverage rose from 68pc to 73pc, with Punjab highest at 79pc and Balochistan lowest at 54pc. Pre-natal consultation rates increased from 84pc to 88pc — 96pc in Punjab and 60pc in Balochistan. Deliveries assisted by skilled birth attendants rose from 71pc to 84pc, with Punjab at 88pc and Balochistan at 58pc.

Education

The national literacy rate rose to 63pc from 60pc. Punjab recorded the highest rate at 68pc and Balochistan the lowest at 49pc.

The proportion of out-of-school children fell slightly to 28pc, though Balochistan reported the highest rate at 49pc.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2026