Economy - overview:
Decades of internal political disputes and low levels of foreign investment have led to underdevelopment in Pakistan. Pakistan has a large English-speaking population. A challenging security environment, electricity shortages, and a burdensome investment climate have deterred investors. Agriculture accounts for one-fifth of output and two-fifths of employment. Textiles and apparel account for more than half of Pakistan's export earnings; Pakistan's failure to diversify its exports has left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Pakistan’s GDP growth has gradually increased since 2012. Official unemployment was 6% in 2017, but this fails to capture the true picture, because much of the economy is informal and underemployment remains high. Human development continues to lag behind most of the region.In 2013, Pakistan embarked on a $6.3 billion IMF Extended Fund Facility, which focused on reducing energy shortages, stabilizing public finances, increasing revenue collection, and improving its balance of payments position. The program concluded in September 2016. Although Pakistan missed several structural reform criteria, it restored macroeconomic stability, improved its credit rating, and boosted growth. The Pakistani rupee, after heavy depreciation in 2013, remained relatively stable against the US dollar in 2015-17. Balance of payments concerns have reemerged, however, as a result of increased imports and declining remittances.Pakistan must continue to address several longstanding issues, including expanding investment in education and healthcare, adapting to the effects of climate change and natural disasters, improving the country’s business environment, reducing dependence on foreign donors, and widening the country’s tax base. Given demographic challenges, Pakistan’s leadership will be pressed to implement economic reforms, promote further development of the energy sector, and attract foreign investment to support sufficient economic growth necessary to employ its growing and rapidly urbanizing population, much of which is under the age of 25.In an effort to boost development, Pakistan and China are implementing the “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” with $60 billion in investments targeted towards energy and other infrastructure projects. Pakistan believes CPEC investments will enable growth rates of over 6% of GDP by laying the groundwork for increased exports. CPEC-related obligations, however, have raised IMF concern that capital outflows that will begin to increase in 2020.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: Exchange rates:
$1.056 trillion (2017 est.)
$1.003 trillion (2016 est.)
$960.2 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
data are for fiscal years
country comparison to the world: 26
$278.9 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
5.3% (2017 est.)
4.5% (2016 est.)
4.1% (2015 est.)
note: data are for fiscal years
country comparison to the world: 35
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$5,400 (2017 est.)
$5,200 (2016 est.)
$5,100 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
data are for fiscal years
country comparison to the world: 171
11.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
13.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
14.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
note: data are for fiscal years
country comparison to the world: 148
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 81.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 11.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 14.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 1.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 8.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -17.8% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 24.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 19.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 56.3% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs
textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp
5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
63.89 million
note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 42.3%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 22.6%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 35.1% (FY2015 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
6% (2017 est.)
6% (2016 est.)
note: substantial underemployment exists
country comparison to the world: 85
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
29.5% (FY2013 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 4%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 26.1% (FY2013)
30.7 (FY2013)
30.9 (FY2011)
country comparison to the world: 123
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $45.64 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $59.28 billion
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
note: data are for fiscal years (2017 est.)
14.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-4.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
59.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
59.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
1 July - 30 June
4.1% (2017 est.)
2.9% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
5.75% (15 November 2016)
6% (15 November 2015)
country comparison to the world: 71
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
7% (31 December 2017 est.)
6.94% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$117.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$103.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$142 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$126.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$165.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$145.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$43.68 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
$32.76 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
$38.17 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$11.67 billion (2017 est.)
-$4.867 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$21.7 billion (2017 est.)
$21.71 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sporting goods, chemicals, manufactures, surgical instruments, carpets and rugs
US 16.3%, China 7.6%, UK 7.4%, Afghanistan 6.5%, Germany 5.7% (2016)
$48.21 billion (2017 est.)
$41.62 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea
China 29.1%, UAE 13.2%, Indonesia 4.4%, US 4.3%, Japan 4.2% (2016)
$20.02 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$22.05 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$75.66 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$70.45 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$41.56 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$39.06 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
$2.175 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.094 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar -
105.1 (2017 est.)
104.769 (2016 est.)
104.769 (2015 est.)
102.769 (FY2014 est.)
101.1 (FY2013 est.)