Islamabad, June 27, 2025: Pakistan’s mobile phone imports have taken a significant hit, dropping by 16.31% year-on-year (YoY) to $1.36 billion during the July–May period of FY2024–25, according to fresh data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The most dramatic decline was recorded in May 2025, with imports nosediving by 35.83% YoY, settling at $101.13 million, compared to $157.58 million in May 2024.
On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, mobile imports also witnessed a steep 19.61% decline in May 2025, falling from $125.8 million in April 2025. This continued slump signals tightening market conditions, waning consumer demand, and persistent currency challenges in the country.
Experts believe that multiple factors have contributed to this ongoing decline, including high inflation, currency depreciation, and a decrease in consumer purchasing power. The ongoing economic reforms and restrictions on non-essential imports also played a key role in keeping mobile phone inflows under control.
Industry insiders warn that while the decline may temporarily help improve the country’s trade balance, it could also hamper the mobile phone retail sector, affecting jobs and supply chains.
Despite the drop in official imports, there are rising concerns about increased smuggling and grey market activity, which poses risks to legitimate businesses and tax revenues.
As Pakistan continues to recover economically, a rebound in mobile phone imports will likely depend on improvements in the rupee-dollar exchange rate, policy consistency, and overall consumer sentiment.
For now, stakeholders in the telecom and electronics sectors are closely monitoring the trend, hoping for stabilization in the latter half of 2025.
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