Social Progress in Pakistan- A Sub-national Analysis

Pakistan has been a regional laggard in terms of social progress which encompasses basic human needs, wellbeing and opportunities available to the population. There have been previous attempts to estimate the social progress in Pakistan at the national level, however, these estimates do not highlight the acute regional disparities within the country. This paper will estimate the social progress for Pakistan at the sub-national level by developing a social progress index. Results of this paper will aid policymakers in drafting evidence-based policies grounded on local realities.

Globally and regionally, Pakistan ranks poorly in indices of social progress and wellbeing. However, this plight is not shared uniformly across all regions of Pakistan and policymakers aiming to improve social progress need to consider spatial social disparities. This study aims to first, evaluate the spatial patterns of disparities in social progress across Pakistan and second, identify critical components of social progress in which the districts of Pakistan are most deficient. To measure sub-national levels of social progress, the paper constructs a Social Progress Index (SPI) for the districts of Pakistan by following the methodology of the Global SPI. Results reveal acute disparities in social progress across and within provinces. On average, the districts of Punjab perform better than the rest of Pakistan and the districts of Balochistan have lowest levels of social progress. Distinct patterns of disparities are also observed within the provinces. Overall, the districts of Pakistan perform worst in components of access to advanced education, personal rights and access to information and communication. This study equips policymakers with evidence to make spatially targeted interventions and prioritize deprived areas. The results are also a key resource for further research into social progress and its determinants in Pakistan.