ISLAMABAD – July 30, 2025:
Pakistan’s mobile phone manufacturing sector continues to show strong growth, with local plants assembling a total of 14.24 million mobile handsets during the first six months of 2025 (January to June), according to official figures. In contrast, only 860,000 units were imported commercially during the same period, highlighting a major shift toward domestic production.
For the month of June alone, local manufacturers assembled 2.19 million devices, while imports dropped to just 100,000 units—further underscoring the growing reliance on local assembly.
This performance builds on the momentum from last year. In 2024, Pakistan’s local industry assembled 31.38 million handsets, compared to just 1.71 million units brought in through commercial imports.
Out of the total locally produced phones in the first half of 2025, 7.63 million were 2G handsets, while 6.6 million were smartphones, reflecting a growing demand for both basic and smart devices in different market segments.
According to data released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), smartphones now make up 68% of all active mobile devices on local networks, while 2G handsets account for the remaining 32%.
Despite this local growth, Pakistan still imported mobile phones worth $1.494 billion in fiscal year 2024-25. However, this figure marks a 21.31% decline from the $1.898 billion worth of imports recorded in the previous fiscal year.
When measured in local currency, the decline is even more noticeable. The total value of mobile phone imports stood at Rs417.35 billion for FY2024-25 — down 22.09% from Rs535.69 billion the year before.
On a monthly basis, however, imports saw an uptick in June 2025. The country imported $139.42 million worth of phones during the month, marking a 39.6% increase compared to $99.87 million in May. But compared to June 2024, the import value was down nearly 50%, from $278.57 million a year earlier.
Industry analysts say the surge in local assembly is not just a response to import restrictions, but also a reflection of the government’s push for industrial self-reliance, supported by favorable policies for local manufacturers.
