Despite tough economic conditions, Pakistanis donated more than $2 billion in charity under Zakat in 2024 proving that the nation does not shy away from donating to the poor.
According to a survey, almost 50 million Pakistanis donated Rs619 billion which amounts to $2.19 billion for Zakat in 2024.
Zakat is one of the main five pillars of Islam and it is compulsory on those Muslims who meet a certain criteria of financial status. It is typically calculated at 2.5% of the total amount exceeding the Nisab threshold.
It holds immense religious and cultural significance as it represents the purification of wealth for Muslims.
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) conducted this research which revealed that the average donations were around Rs15,000 during 2024.
The whopping $2 billion figure exceeds the national welfare program, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which is around Rs592 billion.
Interestingly, the huge amount of donations under the umbrella of Zakat even exceeds the Rs577.4 billion federal excise duty (FED) collected by the government.
According to details, the total donation given by the citizens also surpassed the official development aid received by the country in 2022, amounting to Rs376bn.
The survey also revealed that most Pakistanis prefer to donate their Zakat themselves instead of giving it to state-administered compulsory collection system.
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