Pakistan’s local mobile phone plants produced 20.08 million handsets from January to September 2026, far exceeding the 2.85 million units imported commercially. The figures highlight the growing role of local manufacturing in meeting domestic demand.
Official data shows that locally assembled devices included around 8 million smartphones and 12 million 2G phones. Meanwhile, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) data indicates that smartphones account for 71% of active mobile devices on local networks, while 2G phones make up the remaining 29%.
Pakistan’s mobile phone import bill also declined during the first quarter of fiscal year 2026-27. Imports fell 16.6% in dollar terms to $417.24 million, compared with approximately $500.01 million in the same period last year.
However, mobile phone imports recovered slightly in September. The import bill rose 7.1% month-on-month to $143.14 million, up from $133.66 million in August. Despite the increase, imports remained 28.2% lower than the $199.27 million recorded in September 2025.
In rupee terms, the September import bill reached Rs39.75 billion, marking a 7% increase from Rs37.17 billion in August. However, it declined 29.2% year-on-year from Rs56.17 billion.
For July to September FY27, Pakistan’s cumulative mobile phone import bill stood at Rs116.01 billion. This represents an 18% decline from Rs141.42 billion recorded during the same period of the previous fiscal year.
The figures show that local assembly continues to supply most handsets entering Pakistan’s domestic market. Although imports increased in September, their overall value remained well below last year’s level.
