Rural poverty increased from 28.2pc to 36.2pc, while urban poverty increased from 11pc to 17.4pc over the same period.

PES 2025-26 reports historic primary surplus and multi-year-high reserves; on flipside, poverty has climbed to 28.9pc and April inflation hit 10.9pc.

The economic survey highlights the issue of out-of-school children, stating it had declined from 38pc in 2023 to 28pc in 2025.