Measuring Household Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Economic Crisis in Pakistan

Abstract

During 2020-21, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent worldwide lockdown generally changed the lives of households. This study examines how Pakistani households behaved and what kinds of coping strategies they used during the extended economic crisis in Pakistan following the advent of the virus. This study uses the protracted theory of planned behavior to estimate and elucidate individual behavior through behavioral commitments. Pakistan government survey data collected from 6,000 households was analyzed with a count data model (Poisson regression) to understand different coping strategies. The results show that approximately 28.5 percent of households did not observe any economic effects of COVID-19 on their general wellbeing. However, 27.7 percent of households reported mild shock, and 22.5, 17.4, and 3.9 percent said they faced either moderate, high, or severe economic influence from COVID-19 lockdowns, respectively. The study tried to explore the link between economic crisis, wellbeing and coping strategies. The study also considers how to maintain incomes, access to food, livelihoods, and re-establishing businesses after a future pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19, Pandemic, Economic shock, Lockdown, Coping strategies, Pakistan.