This paper calls for recalibrating the 7th NFC Award, which still relies on outdated census data and pre‑merger boundaries. Using the 2023 Digital Census, 2024–25 poverty estimates, and updated revenue figures, it proposes an Updated Baseline that refreshes indicators while…
2026-04-07 | Research and Policy Brief
The Tobacco Factsheet presents a forward-looking cigarette tax proposal for FY2026–27, designed to advance public health while reinforcing fiscal stability. It highlights how a unified excise structure can curb smoking prevalence, generate sustainable revenue, and align with the country’s commitments…
2026-04-06 | Research and Policy Brief
Illicit cigarette trade undermines both fiscal revenues and public health objectives. This study provides the first systematic estimate of revenue losses attributable to tax evasion and smuggling, revealing how weak enforcement and market distortions drain government resources. It calls for…
2026-04-02 | Research and Policy Brief
Official estimates based on the HIES 2024-25 place Pakistan’s poverty incidence at 28.9%. In contrast, SPDC’s analysis reveals a far higher rate of 43.5%, driven by methodological refinements and highlighting a disproportionate rise in urban poverty. This policy brief summarizes…
2026-03-27 | Research and Policy Brief
SPDC’s report Empirical Evidence of Upsurge in the Poverty Numbers: Pakistan, 2025 Scenario presents independent estimates showing that 43.5% of Pakistan’s population (about 105 million people) now lives below the poverty line, compared to the official figure of 28.9%. Drawing…
2026-03-24 | Research Report
The Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) is funded by the Economics for Health team (formerly Tobacconomics) at Johns Hopkins University (previously housed at University of Illinois Chicago, or UIC) to conduct economic research on…
November 11, 2020
Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) is undertaking a series of informed and interactive dialogues, on various topics covering a range of the drivers of violent extremism (VE) in Pakistan. The aim of the project…
June 12, 2020
An Assessment of the Ba-Himmat Buzurg Programme [2024] – Research Report Supported by GIZ Pakistan Assessing the Prospects of SOS Children's Village in Tharparkar [2022] Supported by SOS Children's Villages Interactive Dialogues on Countering Violent…
July 22, 2022
The Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC), Karachi, commemorated three decades of policy-focused research by hosting a high‑level policy dialogue on “Fiscal Federalism and Social Development in Pakistan” at the Marriott Hotel, Islamabad, on December 15, 2025. The event took place at a More ..
The Economics for Health team at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University cordially hosted the Asia and EMR Regional Think Tank Meeting on Tobacco Taxation in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 16-17 October, 2025. The participants from 9 countries discussed progress & challenges on to More ..
In alignment with the WHO’s 2025 World No Tobacco Day theme. “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco Products," Social Policy and Development Center (SPDC) in collaboration with the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), is organizing a seminar. This engagement aims More ..
Regional Consultation on Innovative Ideas and Knowledge Sharing Organized by Centre for Policy Dialogue in collaboration with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in collaboration with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation organized a Regional Consultation on I More ..
Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) and Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University co-hosted the Tobacconomics Global Research Conference on Tobacco Taxation in Istanbul, Türkiye from 15th-17th October, 2024. Experts from Asia, Europe, Latin America and USA gathered to More ..
SPDC and SPARC jointly hold a Seminar on Optimizing Tobacco Taxation in Pakistan, Seminar was held on 28th May 2024, at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad. Smokers’ response to price changes suggests an enormous potential for taxation to discourage smoking in Pakistan. As a result of the recent hike in More ..
