KARACHI – Housing quality and living conditions in Pakistan reveal a stark contrast between urban and rural areas, reflecting not just numbers but the everyday realities faced by millions of families across the country. While homeownership rates stand at 52% in urban centres, providing many with a sense of security and stability, only 39% of rural households own their homes.
For those who rent in rural areas, this insecurity is especially acute, made even worse by recent floods that have displaced families and destroyed homes, leaving many vulnerable and uncertain about their futures. Homeownership is more than a financial asset. It represents safety, stability and a foundation for family life. Urban households enjoy higher rates of ownership, which gives them protection against eviction and natural disasters. In contrast, rural renters face constant uncertainty, relying on homes made from fragile materials that cannot withstand extreme weather or flooding.
Housing Materials: A Stark Divide
The quality of housing materials further illustrates this divide. According to Gallup Pakistan’s Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) data, 63% of rural homes are built using low-durability materials such as mud and thatch, while 85% of urban homes are constructed from concrete or brick, offering far greater resilience and long-term stability.
These differences affect the daily lives of residents: rural families spend more time maintaining their homes, remain exposed to weather-related risks, and are often forced to rebuild after damage, which adds to both financial and emotional stress.
Overcrowding Crisis
Overcrowding is another pressing issue, particularly in rural areas, where 22% of households live in overcrowded conditions, compared with 15% in urban settings. High living density affects not only physical health but also mental well-being, limiting personal space and privacy, and straining already limited resources. Combined with restricted access to basic services, overcrowding magnifies the challenges of daily life for rural communities.
Access to Basic Amenities
Access to essential amenities remains unequal. While 85% of urban households have clean drinking water, only 50% of rural households enjoy this basic necessity. Similarly, 35% of rural homes lack electricity, compared with just 5% in urban areas. These disparities hinder education, economic activity and overall quality of life, forcing rural families to contend with hardships that their urban counterparts rarely face.
Housing Affordability
Housing affordability further compounds the rural struggle. The survey shows that 22% of rural households spend more than 40% of their income on housing costs, compared with 17% in urban areas. High housing expenditures force families to compromise on other essentials such as food, healthcare and education, perpetuating cycles of poverty and vulnerability.
The Human Reality
These figures are more than statistics; they reflect real families striving for dignity, safety and a stable life. Rural households face the combined challenges of fragile homes, overcrowding, limited infrastructure and high costs, while urban households generally enjoy better living conditions. The Gallup Pakistan HIES survey underscores the urgent need for targeted policies and interventions to bridge this rural-urban divide.
National Housing Deficit
Alongside these findings, assessments by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation point to a growing structural imbalance in Pakistan’s housing sector, driven largely by rising demand. The country faces a housing deficit exceeding 10 million units, with the shortfall increasing by about 400,000 homes annually amid rapid population growth and expanding urbanisation.
This persistent gap underscores the scale of unmet housing needs across the country, reinforcing the disparities in living conditions highlighted by the Gallup survey, particularly for underserved and rural populations.
Way Forward
Addressing these challenges requires expanding homeownership opportunities, promoting the use of durable construction materials, improving access to clean water and electricity, and ensuring housing affordability, particularly in rural areas. By focusing on these solutions, Pakistan can enhance living standards, reduce vulnerability and create more equitable conditions for all its citizens, ensuring that every family in both urban and rural areas can enjoy safety, stability and dignity in their homes.
Analysis: A Crisis of Inequality
The Gallup Pakistan HIES survey reveals a housing crisis that is fundamentally a crisis of inequality. Urban households enjoy concrete homes, clean water, electricity, and manageable housing costs. Rural households live in mud and thatch structures, lack basic amenities, and spend a disproportionate share of their income on inadequate shelter.
The rural-urban divide is not merely a matter of preference or lifestyle choice; it is a reflection of decades of underinvestment in rural infrastructure and social services. Rural families are not choosing to live in fragile homes without electricity or clean water — they have no alternative.
The housing deficit of over 10 million units, growing by 400,000 annually, is a national emergency that requires a national response. The government must prioritize affordable housing in rural areas, expand access to clean water and electricity, and provide financing mechanisms that make homeownership accessible to low-income families.
For the 63% of rural households living in inadequate shelter, the crisis is not abstract. It is the daily reality of mud walls that crumble in the rain, thatched roofs that leak, and homes that offer no protection from the elements. The Gallup survey gives voice to their struggle — and a roadmap for change.
