Pakistan adds over 190,000 new stock market investors in record year: SECP

More than 190,000 investors entered Pakistan's stock market over the past year, lifting the total investor base to over 583,000 and marking a record 48% increase in participation, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) said on Thursday.

The regulator said the expansion was supported by a series of reforms aimed at making investing more accessible. These included increasing the Sahulat Account investment ceiling from Rs1 million to Rs3 million, simplifying account opening through banks and digital channels, and introducing measures such as IBAN verification and minor trading accounts.

According to the SECP, younger Pakistanis accounted for the majority of new investors. Individuals aged 18 to 30 represented 45% of all new accounts, while those between 31 and 45 years made up a further 41%.

Geographically, Karachi contributed the largest share of new investor accounts at 25%, followed by Lahore at 16%. Islamabad and Rawalpindi together accounted for another 13% of new market participants.

Commenting on the trend, SECP Chairman Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said attracting younger investors remained one of the regulator's key priorities. He said the commission was preparing to introduce a digital onboarding mobile application to make investment in the capital market quicker and more convenient.

Sidhu said the capital market could play a greater role in economic development by mobilising household savings into productive investments, adding that the SECP remained focused on making investing simpler, faster and more accessible to the public.