Only 14% of Pakistanis See Economy as Strong as Public Confidence Falls: Ipsos
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Public confidence in the strength of Pakistan’s economy has weakened further, with only 14% of respondents in a new Ipsos survey describing the economy as strong, highlighting persistent concerns over household finances, inflation and economic conditions.
The latest findings mean that roughly one in seven Pakistanis currently views the national economy as strong. Four months earlier, the corresponding figure stood at 20%, indicating a six-percentage-point decline in the share of respondents expressing confidence in current economic conditions.
The result is an important clarification to the headline description of a “14% decline”: 14% is the latest share of respondents who consider the economy strong, rather than necessarily meaning confidence fell by 14 percentage points.
Ipsos said optimism about economic strength was relatively higher among men, adults, upper-income respondents and residents of Punjab and Sindh, although the overall national assessment remained weak.
The deterioration contrasts sharply with sentiment recorded earlier in 2026. Ipsos’ first-quarter survey found that around 23% of Pakistanis considered the economy strong, up substantially from just 4% in the first quarter of 2024. At that point, the research firm reported improving perceptions across several economic indicators.
The latest results suggest that some of those gains in public perception have since been reversed.
Economic pressures continue to dominate public concerns, while electricity load-shedding has entered the five most frequently cited concerns, according to reporting on the latest Ipsos findings.
Despite pessimism over the national economy, sentiment at the personal level appears more mixed. The survey indicates comparatively stronger expectations regarding future personal finances and greater comfort with household spending, suggesting consumers do not view every aspect of their financial outlook equally negatively.
The Ipsos findings are broadly consistent with signs of weakening consumer sentiment captured by another recent survey. Dun & Bradstreet Pakistan and Gallup Pakistan reported that their Consumer Confidence Index dropped to 65.3 in the third quarter of FY2026 from 86.4 in the previous quarter, a decline of 24.4%. That survey identified household finances, national economic conditions, unemployment and savings as major components shaping consumer sentiment.
The two surveys use different methodologies and indicators and therefore should not be treated as directly comparable measurements. However, both point to continuing financial anxiety among Pakistani households despite improvements in some headline macroeconomic indicators.
Consumer confidence is closely watched because perceptions about income, employment and future economic conditions can influence household spending, saving and investment decisions. Pakistan’s central bank likewise treats consumer expectations as relevant indicators for assessing the outlook for inflation, employment and wider economic activity.
The latest Ipsos findings therefore highlight a continuing challenge for policymakers: translating improvements in macroeconomic indicators into economic conditions that households perceive in their daily lives.
