"[1] Despite having a growing middle class numbering over 70 million,[2] a large portion of the country's population remains poor.
Poverty, unemployment and a population boom contribute to Pakistan's current social problems.
As of 2008, over 17% of the total population was found abjectly living below the poverty line[3] while the unemployment rate, as of 2010, numbered up to an unprecedented 15%.
[5] Poor governance, political insecurity, and religious persecution have further added to the issues faced by the average Pakistani family.
This rate reflects the proportion of individuals without employment within the country's labor force, which includes those who are both capable and willing to work.