Pakistan's economy is classified as a developing one, ranking as the 24th largest based on GDP using purchasing power parity (PPP) and the 46th largest in terms of nominal GDP. With a population of 241.5 million people as of 2023, Pakistan’s per capita income ranks 161st by GDP (nominal) and 138th by GDP (PPP) according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In its early years, Pakistan's economy relied heavily on private industries. The economic growth centers in Pakistan are located along the Indus River; these include the diversified economies of Karachi and major urban centers in Punjab (such as Faisalabad, Lahore, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, and Gujranwala), alongside less developed areas in other parts of the country. Pakistan was classified as a semi-industrial economy for the first time in the late 1990s, albeit an underdeveloped country with a heavy dependence on agriculture, particularly the textile industry relying on cotton production. Primary export commodities include textiles, leather goods, sports equipment, chemicals, and carpets/rugs.
Top Sectors in Pakistan
Agriculture in Pakistan
The majority of the population, directly or indirectly, is dependent on this sector, contributing about 23.0% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and accounting for 37.4% of the employed labor force in 2021. It is the largest source of foreign exchange earnings. The most important crops are wheat, sugarcane, cotton, and rice, accounting for more than 75% of the value of total crop output. Pakistan's largest food crop is wheat. In 2017, Pakistan produced 26,674,000 tonnes of wheat, almost equal to all of Africa (27.1 million tonnes) and more than all of South America (25.9 million tonnes). In the previous market year of 2018/19, Pakistan exported a record 4.5 million tonnes of rice compared to around 4 MMT during the corresponding period in the previous year.Pakistan is a net food exporter, except in occasional years when its harvest is adversely affected by droughts. Pakistan exports rice, cotton, fish, fruits (especially oranges and mangoes), and vegetables and imports vegetable oil, wheat, pulses, and consumer foods. The economic importance of agriculture has declined since independence when its share of GDP was around 53%. Following the poor harvest of 1993, the government introduced agriculture assistance policies, including increased support prices for many agricultural commodities and expanded availability of agricultural credit. From 1993 to 1997, real growth in the agricultural sector averaged 5.7% but has since declined to about 4%. Agricultural reforms, including increased wheat and oilseed production, play a central role in the government's economic reform package.
Industry in Pakistan
Pakistan's industrial sector accounts for approximately 19.12% of GDP. It recorded a growth of 7.81%, compared to the negative 5.75% in 2020. The government is privatizing large-scale industrial units, and the public sector accounts for a shrinking proportion of industrial output, while growth in overall industrial output (including the private sector) has accelerated. Government policies aim to diversify the country's industrial base and bolster export industries. Large Scale Manufacturing is the fastest-growing sector in the Pakistani economy. Major industries include textiles, fertilizer, cement, oil refineries, dairy products, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products, and shrimp.
Defence in Pakistan
The defence industry of Pakistan, under the Ministry of Defence Production, was established in September 1951 to promote and coordinate the array of military production facilities that have emerged since independence. It is actively engaged in numerous joint production projects, such as the Al Khalid 2 tank, advanced trainer aircraft, combat aircraft, artillery systems like MRLS, combat and surveillance drones like GIDS Shahpar-1 and Shahpar-2, battle management and surveillance radars, electronic warfare systems, navy ships, and submarines. Pakistan manufactures and sells weapons to over 40 countries, including European customers, generating $620 million annually. The country's sophisticated arms imports increased by 119 percent between 2004-2008 and 2009-13, with China providing 54 percent and the USA 27 percent of Pakistan's imports.
26 Aug 2025
02 Sep 2025
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