Pakistan’s mobile phone industry has started 2026 on a strong note, with local assembly continuing to far outpace imports.
Official data shows that 4.57 million mobile handsets were manufactured or assembled داخل the country during January and February 2026. In comparison, only 0.87 million units were imported commercially during the same period.
February alone saw production reach 2.88 million units, while imports stood at just 0.40 million. This gap highlights how local plants are meeting most of the country’s demand.
A closer look at the figures shows a mixed market. Of the 4.57 million devices produced in the first two months, around 2.03 million were smartphones, while 2.54 million were 2G phones.
However, network data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority suggests that smartphones now dominate overall usage. About 71 percent of devices active on Pakistani networks are smartphones, while 29 percent are still using 2G technology.
This shows that while many users continue to rely on basic phones, the shift towards smartphones is steadily growing.
Local production remains backbone of supply
The trend of strong local manufacturing is not new. During the full year 2025, Pakistan produced 30.21 million mobile phones locally, compared to just 2.37 million imported units.
This reflects the continued expansion of assembly plants in the country, which have helped reduce reliance on imports and supported local industry.
Imports rise despite strong local output
Even with strong local production, the value of mobile phone imports has increased in the current fiscal year.
Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $1.295 billion during July to February 2025-26, up from $999.5 million in the same period last year. This marks a rise of nearly 30 percent.
In local currency, imports stood at Rs364.684 billion, compared to Rs278.162 billion a year earlier, showing a 31 percent increase.
However, recent monthly data suggests some slowdown. Imports in February 2026 were recorded at $155.5 million, down 13.26 percent from January’s $179.3 million. On a yearly basis, though, February imports were still higher than the $131.8 million recorded in February 2025.
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