Pakistan’s Mobile Phone Imports Surge 40% in FY26 Despite Local Assembly Push

Pakistan’s mobile phone imports are rising sharply. During the first five months of the current fiscal year (FY2025-26), imports grew significantly. This surge comes despite a broader decline in overall telecom imports. It also happens as the country pushes for more local manufacturing.

Pakistan’s Mobile Phone Imports Skyrocket

Official data shows a massive jump in spending. Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $801.139 million between July and November. In contrast, the country spent $570.184 million during the same period last year. This represents a 40.51 per cent increase.

In local currency, the growth is even more visible. The value of imports climbed to Rs. 226.133 billion. This is a 42.65 per cent increase from last year’s Rs. 158.518 billion. Furthermore, month-on-month figures show growth. Imports reached $156.565 million in November 2025. This is an 8.30 per cent increase from October’s $144.563 million. However, year-on-year figures for November present a mixed picture. Imports declined 4.81 per cent compared to the $149.378 million recorded in November 2024.

Historical Trends & Telecom Pressure

This recent rise follows a period of contraction. In FY2024-25, Pakistan imported phones worth $1.494 billion. This was a 21.31 per cent decline from the $1.898 billion spent in FY2023-24. Consequently, rupee-term imports fell by 22.09 per cent during that time.

The broader telecom sector remains under pressure. Total telecom imports reached $2.099 billion in FY2024-25. This shows a negative growth of 11.30 per cent compared to the previous year.

Local Manufacturing vs. Commercial Imports

Local assembly still dominates the market volume. Between January and October 2025, authorities recorded 25.11 million locally manufactured handsets. Meanwhile, commercial imports stood at only 1.7 million units. In October 2025 alone, local plants produced 2.33 million units. Commercial imports for that month were just 0.2 million units.

The production mix includes various technologies. Manufacturers assembled 13.2 million smartphones and 11.9 million 2G phones. According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), smartphones now make up 70 per cent of devices on local networks. The remaining 30 per cent consist of 2G handsets.

The data highlights a clear trend. Pakistan relies heavily on the local assembly. However, import values are gaining momentum in the current fiscal year.