Pakistan’s local mobile phone manufacturing and assembling industry recorded a significant output during calendar year 2025, with total production reaching 30.21 million handsets, far exceeding the volume of commercially imported devices. Official figures show that only 2.37 million mobile phones were imported during the same period, highlighting the growing role of domestic assembly and manufacturing plants in meeting national demand. The data reflects sustained momentum in local production as Pakistan continues to rely less on imports for mobile devices.
According to official statistics, production activity remained strong toward the end of the year, with 2.61 million mobile handsets manufactured or assembled locally in December 2025 alone, compared to just 0.33 million units imported commercially during the same month. Of the total locally produced devices during the year, 15.64 million units were smartphones, while 14.57 million were 2G phones. PTA data further shows that smartphones now account for 71 percent of all mobile devices active on Pakistan’s networks, while 2G phones make up the remaining 29 percent. This shift reflects increasing consumer adoption of smart devices, driven by expanding broadband coverage, mobile data usage, and growing access to digital services.
Despite strong local production, mobile phone imports have continued alongside domestic manufacturing, particularly in the higher value segment. During the first five months of the current fiscal year 2025 to 26, spanning July to November, Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $801.139 million, compared to $570.184 million during the same period last year. This represents an increase of over 40.51 percent in dollar terms. In local currency, the value of mobile phone imports reached Rs226.133 billion during July to November 2025, up from Rs158.518 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year, marking a growth of 42.65 percent. On a month on month basis, imports rose by 8.30 percent to $156.565 million in November 2025, compared to $144.563 million in October. However, year on year figures showed a decline of 4.81 percent when compared to $149.378 million in November 2024, indicating some moderation in import volumes toward the end of the year.
Looking at a broader timeline, Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $1.494 billion during the last fiscal year 2024 to 25, reflecting a decline of 21.31 percent compared to $1.898 billion in fiscal year 2023 to 24. In rupee terms, the value of mobile phone imports stood at Rs417.351 billion in fiscal year 2024 to 25, down 22.09 percent from Rs535.690 billion recorded a year earlier. This downward trend in annual imports coincides with the expansion of local manufacturing capacity and policy measures aimed at encouraging domestic assembly. Overall telecom imports into Pakistan totaled $2.099 billion during fiscal year 2024 to 25, registering a negative growth of 11.30 percent compared to $2.366 billion in the previous year. The combined data indicates a structural shift within the telecom and device ecosystem, with local manufacturing increasingly contributing to supply while imports continue to play a complementary role in meeting market demand.
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