Pakistan has incurred estimated damages of around US$2.9 billion due to recent floods that have wreaked widespread destruction across the country, according to Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives.
Speaking at the launch of the ministry’s monthly development update and the preliminary flood damage assessment report on Friday, Iqbal revealed that a detailed post-disaster needs assessment is currently underway to assess the full economic impact of the disaster.
The initial damage estimate stands at approximately 822 billion rupees (about $2.9 billion), which includes 430 billion rupees (around $1.53 billion) in losses to the agricultural sector and 307 billion rupees (about $1.1 billion) in infrastructure damage.
Iqbal also highlighted that the floods have destroyed around 229,000 homes across the country. Additionally, the damage includes 2,811 kilometers of roads, 790 bridges, 129 public buildings, 2,267 educational institutions, 243 health facilities, 1,297 commercial areas, and 86 sites related to water infrastructure, such as waterworks, sources, and reservoirs.
The preliminary assessment suggests that the overall damage could reduce Pakistan’s GDP growth by 0.3 to 0.7 percentage points for the current fiscal year (July 2025 to June 2026), lowering the growth forecast from 4.2 percent to between 3.5 and 3.9 percent.
The report also estimates that the disaster could lead to an increase in unemployment by approximately 220,000 workers.
“In agriculture, we estimate a loss of around 3 million to 3.4 million bales of cotton, approximately 1 million tonnes of rice, and between 1.3 million and 3.3 million tonnes of sugarcane,” Iqbal noted, adding that these estimates will depend on the duration and severity of flooding in various regions.
Iqbal emphasized that these preliminary figures will guide the government’s ongoing rehabilitation and recovery efforts, with a focus on rebuilding essential infrastructure, restoring livelihoods, and bolstering resilience to future climate-related disasters.
