1 in 5 Pakistanis Name Rising Power and Gas Prices as Biggest Problem

According to the National Citizen Survey 2026 conducted by the Institute for Public Opinion Research (IPOR), rising electricity and gas prices are the most significant issue facing Pakistan, cited by 19 percent of respondents. This makes it the top concern nationwide. The survey, which interviewed 5,155 voting-age citizens between August 23 and September 5, 2026, also revealed several other troubling statistics.

Debt servicing consumes 42.9 percent of the federal budget, while only 0.1 percent is allocated to health. Furthermore, 18 percent of respondents reported being asked for a bribe by a government official in the past year. Starting or operating a business in Pakistan is described as difficult, with taxation being the main obstacle.

Trust in public institutions is lacking, with no organization receiving universal trust. The Federal Investigation Agency was the most trusted at 33 percent, followed by the National Accountability Bureau at 23 percent, while parliament and the Revenue Department received 15 percent and 13 percent respectively. Social media is preferred over television for news by 42 percent of respondents, but the internet is blamed for a decline in social values by the same proportion.

The rise in drug use is viewed as extremely dangerous by 79 percent of respondents, and 66 percent are concerned about Pakistan's growing national debt. Of those polled, 49 percent considered the national debt situation extremely alarming. Education in Pakistan is deemed inadequate for a modern economy by 60 percent of citizens, and 68 percent view the IMF program as harmful or of no benefit to the general public.

Lastly, 43 percent of respondents viewed reports on Pakistan by foreign-funded NGOs and think tanks as exaggerated, contrary to facts, or driven by a foreign agenda, while 25 percent considered such reporting to be based on facts.