ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s total central government debt reached a new high of Rs. 71.64 trillion in December 2024, reflecting a 10% increase compared to the same month last year.
According to the latest data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the public debt stock surged from Rs. 65.19 trillion in December 2023 to Rs. 71.64 trillion by December 2024. On a month-on-month basis, the debt stock grew by 1.8%, up from Rs. 70.36 trillion in November 2024.
The rise in debt is largely attributed to an increase in domestic debt, which saw a sharp 17.1% year-on-year jump from Rs. 42.59 trillion in December 2023 to Rs. 49.88 trillion in December 2024. Month-on-month, domestic debt grew by 2.7%.
The breakdown of domestic debt shows that long-term public debt rose significantly, from Rs. 34.10 trillion to Rs. 41.11 trillion over the past year, while short-term debt also saw an increase, growing from Rs. 8.37 trillion to Rs. 8.70 trillion during the same period.
