Karachi: The frustration of Pakistanis regarding inflation, the country's economy and the direction of the entire country has increased significantly.
This figure rose to 44 per cent in the current survey, as against a disappointed 32 per cent respondents in March 2021. Similarly, the number of respondents taking the country in the wrong direction has also increased from 73 per cent to 80 per cent.
These were the findings of a consumer confidence survey conducted by IPSOS Pakistan from February 24 to March 1, 2022, covering 1,048 people over 18 years. Pollster finds 44 per cent of the respondents worried about skyrocketing inflation, which has risen from 32 per cent in March 2021. Also, the number of 73 percent respondents who misunderstood the country's direction in the previous survey has now risen to 80 percent, which constitutes four out of every five. Pakistani. At least 20 percent of the respondents got the direction correct.
Growing despair over the economic crisis rose 14 percent from the previous year to 41 percent. For a question about future economic performance, 49 percent remained dismal and feared it would remain weak.
51 per cent of the respondents declared economic conditions as 'in the middle', neither weak nor strong, while 41 per cent explicitly declared it as weak, and only eight pc as strong. In the previous survey, 27 per cent of the respondents had described the economy as weak, which saw a growth of 14 per cent in the current survey.
Regarding the future outlook of the economy, especially in the next six months, each of the two respondents, ie 49 per cent, expressed disappointment and apprehension that a weak economic situation would prevail, while 16 per cent thought the economy would improve And 35 percent said it would 'stay in the middle'.
IPSOS saw a 12 per cent increase in the number of respondents citing inflation as the biggest problem, followed by 16 per cent unemployment, 11 per cent poverty, 6 per cent increase in taxes, 4 per cent hike in electricity rates, 3 per cent COVID-19 , announced 3 per cent devaluation of Rs. 2% corruption, bribery, nepotism, 2% discrimination in law and order, 1% terrorism and 1% lack of health facilities. It was also found that after August 2019, Pakistanis started considering inflation and unemployment as major problems.
The survey also found that fear of loss of employment to themselves or someone they knew increased by 50 percent within a year, while 50 percent got no such perception. Also, fear of job loss in the current year led to an increase of 86 per cent among respondents, while 14 per cent were confident in the employment scenario.
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