The expenditures increased at a faster pace than the incomes due to current economic pressure and rising cost of living, according to the Household Integrated Economic Survey 2024-25, released by the Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday, reported by The Express Tribune.

According to reports, the survey was conducted after a gap of six years under pressure from the  International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The report showed that inflation has eaten up people's hard-earned money, leaving only 2.5% in hand to spend on education.

The share of foreign remittances in household income has risen from below 5% to nearly 8%, according to the survey, the newspaper reported.

The contribution of gifts and assistance also more than doubled to 4.6%, "indicating greater reliance on informal support networks", stated the official report.