The mobile phone manufacturing industry in Pakistan has experienced significant growth, with local factories producing 10.87 million mobile devices in the first eight months of 2023.
This number far exceeds the 0.84 million phones imported through regular commercial channels, as reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
Out of the 10.87 million phones made in Pakistan, 7.62 million were basic 2G phones, and 3.04 million were smartphones. This indicates that the majority of phones produced in Pakistan are still simple 2G feature phones.
However, smartphone production is rapidly increasing, and it’s expected that the production of smartphones will soon surpass that of 2G feature phones.
Despite this significant growth in the local mobile phone manufacturing industry, Pakistan still heavily relies on imported mobile phones. In the first two months of the current fiscal year, mobile phone imports increased by 76%, driven by factors like a rising demand for smartphones, currency devaluation, and smuggling.
Data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) shows that mobile phone imports in August 2023 reached a substantial $111.34 million, marking a 77% increase from the same month in 2022.
In July 2023, mobile phone imports amounted to $68.13 million, a 76% increase from the previous year’s July figures.
