Islamabad: Pakistan’s economy displayed resilience with a GDP growth rate of 3.7 percent during the 2025-26 financial year, overcoming significant internal and external challenges. According to Radio Pakistan, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb unveiled the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26 in Islamabad, providing a detailed overview of the nation’s economic achievements and hurdles faced during the fiscal year.
Joining the Finance Minister at the launch were Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani. The Finance Minister noted that the 3.7 percent growth is the highest recorded in the past four years, signaling a transition from economic stabilization to growth. The financial year saw Pakistan’s economic size reaching 126.9 trillion rupees, equivalent to 452.1 billion dollars, while the per capita income increased to 1901 dollars from 1751 dollars the previous year.
The survey highlighted sectoral performances, with agriculture growing by 2.89 percent despite facing challenges such as floods, and the industrial sector expanding by 3.51 percent. The livestock sector showed continued growth, while large-scale manufacturing achieved a 6.1 percent increase, marking the highest growth in four years. Sixteen out of twenty-two manufacturing sectors recorded positive growth. The services sector, a strong contributor to the economy, grew by 4.9 percent, with significant advancements in Information and Communication Services, which grew by 7.52 percent.
On the fiscal front, the fiscal deficit was contained at 0.7 percent during the first nine months of the financial year. Revenue collection by the Federal Board of Revenue increased by 10.1 percent, and a 23 percent reduction in markup payments provided additional fiscal space. The current account surplus stood at seventy-two million dollars during the same period, with rises in remittances and investments in the Roshan Digital Account. IT exports surpassed 3.8 billion dollars and are projected to reach 4.5 billion dollars. Foreign exchange reserves are at 17.1 billion dollars, with expectations of reaching eighteen billion dollars by June’s end.
Additionally, the Finance Minister pointed out increased demand in several sectors, including cement (up 10 percent), fertilizers (up 17 percent), petroleum products (up 5 percent), and mobile phones (up 9 percent).