When People Get Richer, They Buy More Sugar — and More Disease.

As incomes rise in Pakistan, so does fizzy drink consumption.

Sugary drink purchases rise steadily with income: 18% in Q1, 22% in Q2, 28% in Q3, 35% in Q4, 48% in Q5

Recent household data (last 30 days purchase) shows a clear income gradient in carbonated drink consumption:

Poorest households (Q1): 18%
Q2: 22%
Q3: 28%
Q4: 35%
Richest households (Q5): 48%

In other words, richer households are almost three times more likely to buy fizzy drinks than the poorest.

Now place this beside another uncomfortable fact:

👉 Pakistan is among the countries with the largest diabetic populations in the world.

This suggests a troubling pattern:

📈 Rising incomes
🥤 Rising sugary drink consumption
🩺 Rising diabetes risk

What is marketed as a “modern lifestyle” may quietly be turning into a public health liability.

Household consumption data is not just about spending —
it is also an early warning system for future disease burden.

The policy question is simple but uncomfortable:

Should economic progress be accompanied by dietary regression?

Data from Pakistan Bureau of Statistics HIES .