foreign inflows are dry the growth dips, he added.
In 1980, the exports of goods and services as percentage of GDP was 12.5 percent in Pakistan, 6.0 percent in India, 8.4 percent in China, 5.5 percent in Bangladesh and 32.2 percent in Sri Lanka, signaling that exports of Pakistan in 1980 were highest after Sri Lanka. In the year 2000 it was 13.4 percent in Pakistan, 12.8 percent in India, 23.8 percent in China, 14 percent in Bangladesh and 39.5 percent in Sri Lanka. This means that when the regional economies were multiplying their exports Pakistan’s export were stagnant.
In 2013, Pakistan’s export as percentage of its GDP declined nominally to 13.2 percent maintaining the stagnancy exhibited in earlier decades.
Indian exports as percentage of its GDP doubled from 12.4 percent in 2000 to 24.8 percent in 2013. Chinese exports increased to 26.4 percent of its GDP. Bangladesh saw its exports increase to 19.5 percent of its GDP almost a four time increase from 5.5 percent in 1980. Sri Lanka’s exports as percentage of its GDP stood at 22.5 percent in 2013.
“Exports are the main source of reducing poverty in developing countries,” said market analyst Amina Usman, adding labor intensive jobs are transferred to developing economies as the higher wages make manufacturing in developed economies less feasible.
She said the poverty reduced at a much higher pace in China, India and Bangladesh during 1980-2013 periods than Pakistan.
On the health side the life expectancy in 1980 was 58 years in Pakistan, 55 years in India, 57 years in China, 55 years in Bangladesh and 68 years in Sri Lanka.
Thirty three years later in 2013 average life expectancy in Pakistan is 66 year and it the same in India.
Life expectancy is 75 years in China, 70 in Bangladesh and 74 in Sri Lanka. The literacy rate in Pakistan currently stands at 58 percent. It is 71 percent in India, 95 percent in China, 58 percent in Bangladesh and 91 percent in Sri Lanka.
Dr. Kishwar Dhingra, a social worker said better literacy can increase the life expectancy in the population.