63% of Pakistanis Unable to Afford Healthy Diet: UN

A recent UN report, "State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026," reveals that 63% of Pakistan's population, approximately 161 million people, could not afford a healthy diet last year due to rising inflation and declining purchasing power. Despite relatively lower food prices compared to other South Asian nations, Pakistan has one of the lowest proportions of people who can afford a healthy diet in the region. Experts, like Abid Qayyum Suleri, confirm the credibility of these figures, based on Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data, and warn of severe long-term consequences due to the widening wealth gap and reduced spending on education and healthcare. Food security expert Shams Salam Khan suggests the on-ground situation might be even graver than official figures indicate, with rising food prices outpacing income growth for low-income households. The report also raises concerns about child malnutrition, with nearly one in three Pakistani children under five failing to meet expected growth.