Rising power, gas prices top concerns for Pakistanis, says survey

Rising electricity and gas prices are the biggest concern for citizens, while the country’s growing national debt is also worrying them, according to the first National Citizen Survey 2026 released on Monday.

The survey showed that 19 per cent of Pakistanis regarded rising electricity and gas prices as the country’s biggest problem. The increasing cost of everyday goods was another leading concern, while unemployment came third.

The country’s ballooning debt was also a source of serious worry. About two-thirds of respondents, or 66pc, expressed concern over the rising national debt, including 49pc who described it as “extremely concerning”.

The survey also found scepticism about the IMF programme. Around 68pc of respondents said the programme had either been harmful or had brought no benefit to ordinary citizens.

Education was another area where public opinion was largely negative. Six in 10 respondents said the education system was not providing the skills and opportunities required by a modern economy.

Trust in government institutions was similarly weak. A majority of citizens expressed no complete trust in any of the public institutions covered by the survey, including Parliament, the Election Commission and the Federal Board of Revenue.

Parliament received the confidence of only 15pc of respondents, while 13pc said they had complete trust in the revenue department. The Federal Investigation Agency recorded the strongest level of confidence at 33pc, followed by the National Accountability Bureau at 23pc.

The survey also asked respondents about their direct experiences with corruption. Eighteen per cent said a government official had asked them for a bribe during the previous 12 months.

The findings point to changing patterns in how people get information. Social media was trusted more than television as a news source by 42pc of respondents. At the same time, 56pc blamed the internet for contributing to a decline in social values.

Drug use was another issue that generated strong concern. Nearly four out of five respondents, or 79pc, described the increase in drug use in Pakistan as “extremely dangerous”.