Pakistan mobile phone imports recorded a strong rebound during the first half of the current fiscal year, showing renewed consumer demand despite rapid growth in local manufacturing. Official data reveal that imports increased sharply between July and December of FY26.
During this period, Pakistan imported mobile phones having worth of $960.46 million, as compared to $733.44 million in the same months last year. This is marking a 30.95% increase. In rupee terms, mobile phone imports climbed to Rs 270.86 billion, up 32.82% year-on-year.
Monthly Trends Show Mixed Signals
On a month-on-month basis, Pakistan’s mobile phone imports rose slightly in December 2025. Imports reached $159.33 million, up 1.78% from November’s $156.55 million.
However, year-on-year figures tell a different story. Imports in December declined by 2.40% compared to $163.26 million in December 2024. This truly suggests that import volumes began to ease toward the end of the year.
Pakistan Mobile Phone Imports Fell in the Previous Fiscal Year
Despite the recent jump, al-inclusive mobile phone imports declined in the previous fiscal year. Pakistan imported handsets worth $1.49 billion in FY25, down 21.31% from $1.89 billion in FY24.
In rupee terms, imports dropped to Rs 417.35 billion, which is showing a 22.09% decrease. At the same time, overall telecom imports also fell by 11.30%, reflecting tighter economic conditions.
Read more: https://www.pediastan.com/articles/top-local-mobile-brands-in-pakistan/
Local Manufacturing Continues to Dominate
While Pakistan’s mobile phone imports fluctuate, local production is still strong without showing any kind of weakness. Official figures keep on showing that 30.21 million mobile phones were manufactured or assembled locally during January–December 2025. In comparison, only 2.37 million phones were imported commercially.
In December alone, local plants produced 2.61 million devices, while imports stood at just 0.33 million units.
Of the locally produced phones, 15.64 million were smartphones, while 14.57 million were 2G devices. As per the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), smartphones now account for 71% of active devices nationwide.
Outlook Remains Balanced
Analysts keep saying that the data is showing a clear trend. Pakistan continues to move toward local manufacturing, even as mobile phone imports respond to consumer demand, exchange rates, and broader economic shifts.