Pakistan economic survey unveils surge in livestock numbers

Zubair Yaqoob

During the past year, Pakistan has seen a noticeable increase in its livestock numbers, according to the latest economic survey released by the federal government. The economic survey report for the year 2023-24 has shown that the total number of livestock in the country reached 59 million, with 2 million new additions, while the number of donkeys remained stable at 200,000, the same as the previous fiscal year. According to the survey, the country’s doctor count now stands at 299,113, and there are 127,855 nurses. The number of lady health workers recorded in the survey is 24,022. The population of Pakistan, as per the 2023 survey, stands at 241 million. The survey shows a growth rate of 2.55 percent in the population compared to the last survey. Urban areas saw a population growth of 3.65 percent, while rural areas experienced a growth rate of 1.90 percent. In terms of provincial breakdown, Punjab’s population was 127 million in 2023, Sindh’s was 55.69 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s was 40.85 million, Balochistan’s was 14.89 million, and Islamabad’s population was 2.36 million.

The GDP increased by 2.38 percent, with agriculture at 6.25 percent, the industry sector at 1.21 percent, and the services sector also at 1.21 percent. The per capita income reached $1,680, with a GDP investment of 13.1 percent.

The GDP savings stood at percent. The unemployment rate for the age group of 15 to 24 was 11.1 percent, while for the age group of 25 to 34, it was 7.3 percent. Unemployment among women aged 15 to 24 was higher compared to men. In agriculture, there was an overall increase of 6.25 percent. Crop production increased by 11.03 percent, livestock by 3.89%, forestry by 3.05 percent, and fisheries by 0.81 percent. Agricultural loans saw a 33.8% increase.

The survey reported a wheat production of 3.957 million tons, with 6.425 million tons of paddy rice sold.

The cattle population was 57.5 million, with 46.3 million buffaloes, 32.7 million sheep, and 87 million goats. The camel population was 1.2 million, and there were 40 lakh horses.

The survey also revealed that 55,670 vehicles were manufactured, which represents a 36.6 percent decrease in production. There were 14,544 jeeps, pickups, and SUVs produced, reflecting a 45% decrease in production. 296 buses were manufactured, showing a 51 percent decrease in production. 36,133 tractors were manufactured, indicating a 59.7 percent increase in production. A total of 842,905 motorcycles and rickshaws were manufactured, showing a 9 percent decrease in production. According to the economic survey, 13.5 crore people in the country use the internet. The number of telecommunication users increased from 194.6 million to 1.946 billion. In Pakistan, more than 20,000 IT companies are registered. The IT sector’s earnings volume reached $2.283 billion, with US350 million in IT exports. From July to March of the current fiscal year, IT revenue saw an increase of 17.44 percent. From July to March, IT revenue reached US339 million, recording an increase of US 30.6 million. Compared to last March, there was a 36 percent increase in IT revenue. In March 2023, IT revenue increased to US225 million, showing an increase of 19.1 percent compared to February.