Pakistan unable to achieve GDP target but its donkey population is rising fast, Economic Survey shows

Pakistan's economy missed economic growth target, donkey population rises to 60 lakh in FY24: Economic Survey

Pakistan's finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the country's Economic Survey 2023-24 which detailed socio-economic achievements during the outgoing fiscal year. The Economic Survey showed that Pakistan missed the growth target for the financial year 2023-24 and achieved 2.38 per cent GDP growth against the target of 3.5 per cent. This was mainly due to underperformance of industries and services sectors but agriculture outperformed every other sector and posted 6.25 per cent growth.

A vegetable vendor waits for customers at a market in Islamabad. (AFP)

Muhammad Aurangzeb said, “The robust growth in the agriculture sector, the highest in the last 19 years, emerged as the key driver of economic growth in FY 2024."

The survey also showed that Pakistan's inflation reduced to 11.8 per cent and the GDP at current market prices increased to Rs.106,045 billion in FY2024- a growth of 26.4 per cent over (Rs.83,875 billion) last year.

Moreover, the country's finance minister said the government was committed to offloading the loss-making state-owned enterprises and will privatise the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines.

Pakistan's donkeys are increasing

The official data on livestock showed that Pakistan's population of donkeys has increased by 1.72 per cent to reach 5.9 million during the fiscal year 2023-24. Population of donkeys was 5.5 million in 2019-2020, 5.6 million in 2020-21, 5.7 million in 2021-22, and 5.8 million in 2022-23. This jumped to 5.9 million in 2023-24.

Cattle population increased to 57.5 million, buffalo to 46.3 million, sheep to 32.7 million, and goats to 87 million, the survey added.