Report charts human development post floods

The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Tuesday launched its critical new publication, the "Provincial Development Monitor (PDM): A Derived Human Development Index Approach," on the inaugural day of its 28th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC).

The report offers a current assessment of human development across 116 districts in Pakistan, serving as a vital checkpoint against the backdrop of recent national crises. The study covers core dimensions of education, health, and living standards and uses data from the Census 2023, Provincial Annual School Census 2024, and Provincial Development Statistics 2024.

Crucially, the Index establishes a critical pre-crisis baseline for the severe 2025 Floods that recently struck the country. By comparing these figures with future rounds of socio-economic statistics, policymakers will be able to accurately quantify the flood's cost on human well-being, infrastructure and livelihoods. 'Data is the compass for good governance and paves the path for sustainable development', said Professor Ahsan Iqbal, the Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, while addressing the Conference participants.

The report also aims to provide sub-national units with an effective tool to benchmark their socio-economic progress, thereby fostering a sense of positive competition among districts and provinces.

Key findings

The overall national picture is one of slight regression, indicating that Pakistan has not fully recovered its pre-crisis human development levels:

Overall HDI: Pakistan's Human Development Index (HDI) dropped marginally from 0.699 in 2019 to 0.691 in 2023, a decline of 0.008 points. This national decline was primarily driven by losses in two key domains.