ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit surged by over 33% year-on-year (YoY), reaching $2.3 billion in February 2025, compared to $1.72 billion in the same month of 2024, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) released on Monday.
The trade imbalance widened as imports rose and exports declined. Exports in February 2025 totaled $2.44 billion, marking a 5.6% drop from $2.58 billion in February 2024. Meanwhile, imports increased by over 10%, reaching $4.74 billion, up from $4.31 billion in the same period last year.
On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, the trade deficit saw a slight reduction of 0.35% in February 2025, compared to $2.31 billion in January 2025.
For the first eight months of the fiscal year (July-February 2025), Pakistan’s trade deficit grew by more than 6%, totaling $15.78 billion, up from $14.84 billion in the same period of the previous year.
Exports for the 8MFY25 period increased by 8.17%, rising to $22.02 billion from $20.4 billion in the same period last year. In contrast, imports also rose by 7.4%, reaching $37.8 billion, up from $35.2 billion in 8MFY24.
Analysts warn that the rising trade imbalance, coupled with growing inflationary pressures and ongoing water stress affecting crops, may lead to further challenges for Pakistan’s economic stability.
