Forced Displacement Survey – Pakistan 2024
Forced Displacement Survey – Pakistan 2024
Pakistan is one of three global pilot countries of the Forced Displacement Survey (FDS), UNHCR’s new flagship household survey programme. The FDS Pakistan 2024 collected district-level socioeconomic data on refugees and host communities in 2024. The data is nationally representative of the Afghan refugee population that held Proof of Registration (PoR) cards during that time.1 The FDS also provides valuable insights into the living conditions of host communities near refugee villages.
The FDS Pakistan shows that most of these refugees were born in Pakistan or have experienced decades-long displacement, with few expressing intentions to return to Afghanistan. It highlights critical challenges faced by refugee communities and their host communities, such as economic pressures, high rates of child marriage and significant barriers to essential services such as education – particularly among girls. Refugees experience specific vulnerabilities, including extensive documentation gaps, high dependency ratios and more widespread poverty. The rich disaggregated data shows variations among different provinces, refugee-hosting districts and urban vs rural populations.
Note: This report and the underlying data collection were completed in early 2025 and therefore do not reflect developments following the Government of Pakistan announcement of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan Phase III (IFRP).
Demography
The Afghan refugee population in Pakistan is predominantly young and typically lives in large households. Around half of refugees are under the age of 15 – amounting to nearly 620,000 children. Refugee households average nearly 9 members, compared to just under 7 in host communities. This contributes to a high dependency ratio of 137 dependents for every 100 working-age adults, placing considerable economic strain on refugee households. Child marriage also remains a concern, with around 1 in 4 refugee women aged 20–24 having married before the age of 18.
Age distribution
Legal status
Birth registration remains a particular challenge for refugee children in Pakistan. Only 46 per cent of refugees under five have their births officially registered, compared to 81 per cent of the host community. Without birth registration, children may face barriers in their right to legal identity, which can severely limit access to healthcare, education, and long-term protection.
Children under five with a birth certificate
Poverty and livelihoods
Measured across education, health, and living conditions, 42 per cent of refugees are considered multidimensionally poor – almost four times the rate among host communities (11 per cent).
The analysis reveals that certain groups are more affected:
- households with a dependency ratio of three or more
- those with at least three children under the age of 15
- households where the head has completed only primary education or lower.
In Balochistan, the situation is particularly severe, with close to two-thirds of households in refugee villages (RV) considered multidimensionally poor.
Multidimensional poverty index 3
Note: KPK stands for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Source: FDS Pakistan 2024.
Many households need to use coping mechanisms to ensure their livelihoods. Around 10 per cent sold work tools or livestock, skipped health care, or took children out of school. 1 in 20 households report having to beg or take other emergency measures.
Basic services
Access to essential services is limited, particularly in refugee villages. Just 18 per cent of refugee homes have private, improved toilets. Soap and water for handwashing are in only 52 per cent of homes. 73 per cent of refugees have access to improved drinking water within 30 minutes, compared to 91 per cent of the national population.2
Access to water, sanitation and hygiene
Source: FDS Pakistan 2024.
Food security and nutrition
Dietary diversity is low and essential nutrients are often lacking. Around one-quarter of refugee households have “poor” food consumption and a further 30 per cent are classified as “borderline”. Moreover, over 70 per cent of households did not eat iron-rich foods in the past week, and nearly 80 per cent lacked vitamin A-rich foods – pointing to micronutrient deficiencies. Insufficient meals and a lack of nutrients can have serious long-term implications for child health: One-third of refugee children under five are stunted, and 8 per cent are wasted.
Food consumption score categories
Education
While the primary school completion rate is 69 per cent in host communities, it is less than half that among refugees (30 per cent). The completion rate among refugees drops to 19 per cent at the lower-secondary level and just 9 per cent at the upper-secondary level. Completion rates for girls are even lower – just 15 per cent finish primary school and 2 per cent complete upper-secondary school.
Barriers to schooling include costs for uniforms and books, as well as long distances to schools. Restrictive gender norms also limit girls’ education: Around one-quarter of girls who are out of secondary school do not receive an education because the household head does not consider girls’ schooling important.
School completion rates
Note: KPK stands for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Source: FDS Pakistan 2024.
Footnotes
Proof of Registration (PoR)-card holders only represent a subset of the overall Afghan population in Pakistan.
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2024).
In Punjab, there is only one refugee village, located in Kot Chandna in the north-east of the province. The refugee village and host community in Punjab are therefore only located in/around this location.
