Pakistan’s local mobile phone manufacturing and assembly declined 12 percent year-on-year in June 2026, reflecting weakening domestic production even as handset imports surged sharply ahead of the federal budget.
According to the latest Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) data, local manufacturers assembled 1.93 million mobile phones in June 2026, down from 2.19 million units in the same month last year.
Production also fell 4 percent month-on-month, indicating a slowdown in the domestic handset industry.
In contrast, mobile phone imports jumped to 0.64 million units in June, compared to just 0.10 million units a year earlier, marking a 540 percent year-on-year increase and doubling from the previous month. Market analysts attributed the spike to pre-budget buying and the launch of AIRLINK’s Apple mono store.
Despite the monthly decline, Pakistan assembled 13.10 million mobile phones during the first half of calendar year 2026, down 8 percent from 14.24 million units in the corresponding period of 2025.
Overall mobile phone availability, including imports, rose to 2.57 million units in June 2026, up 12 percent year-on-year and 11 percent month-on-month, while total handset supply for the first half of 2026 increased 4 percent to 15.65 million units.
The surge in imports reduced the share of locally assembled phones in total demand to 75 percent in June, down from 86 percent in May, although locally assembled devices still accounted for 85 percent of total handset demand during the first six months of 2026.
The latest figures suggest that while Pakistan’s handset market continues to expand, imported devices are regaining market share at the expense of local assembly, raising fresh concerns over the sustainability of the country’s mobile manufacturing ecosystem.
