Pakistan has witnessed a significant decline in mobile phone imports during the fiscal year 2024-25, signaling a shift towards local manufacturing. According to official data, the country imported mobile phones worth $1.494 billion, marking a 21.31% decrease from $1.898 billion in FY 2023-24.
In terms of local currency, the import value dropped 22.09%, from Rs 535.690 billion last year to Rs 417.351 billion this year.
Despite the annual decline, June 2025 showed a month-on-month recovery. Imports reached $139.425 million, up 39.60% from $99.875 million in May. However, this figure still reflects a sharp 49.95% drop year-on-year, compared to $278.574 million in June 2024.
Total telecom imports, including other related equipment, also declined to $2.099 billion, down 11.30% from $2.366 billion the previous year.
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While imports are shrinking, local production is accelerating. Between January and May 2025, Pakistan’s local assembly plants produced 12.05 million mobile phones, while only 0.76 million units were imported commercially during the same period.
In 2024, local production reached 31.38 million units, in contrast to just 1.71 million commercially imported phones—highlighting the country’s increasing self-reliance in handset manufacturing.
Of the 12.05 million phones manufactured in early 2025, 6.53 million were 2G phones, and 5.52 million were smartphones. According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), 67% of mobile phones in use across the country are smartphones, with 33% being 2G devices.
This shift towards local manufacturing not only reduces dependency on imports but also supports job creation and conserves foreign exchange. The rapid evolution of Pakistan’s mobile phone market reflects a clear trend toward digital growth and industrial self-sufficiency.
