Summary
- The education sector grew by 5.23%, exceeding its target of 4.5%, while health and social services recorded 6.86% growth against a 4% target.
- The construction sector grew by 5.73%, exceeding its target of 3.8%, while the services sector recorded 4.09% growth, close to its 4% target.
- Hotels and restaurants posted 3.94% growth against a 4.1% target, while information and communication grew strongly by 7.52%, above the 5% target.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will present the Economic Survey for the fiscal year 2025-26 tomorrow. Key highlights of the report have already surfaced ahead of its official release.
According to official documents, Pakistan’s provisional GDP growth stood at 3.7%, falling short of the 4.2% target set for the year.
The size of the economy expanded significantly during the fiscal year. It grew by 11.3% to reach Rs 126.9 trillion.
In dollar terms, the economy increased by $43.9 billion, reaching $452.1 billion compared to $408.2 billion in the previous year.
Per capita income also showed improvement. It rose by $150 to $1,901, compared to $1,751 last year.
In rupee terms, per capita income increased to Rs 533,629 from Rs 489,118 in the previous fiscal year.
The federal government has proposed a development budget of Rs 1 trillion for the upcoming fiscal year.
The economic survey reflects mixed performance across key sectors of the economy. The education sector grew by 5.23%, exceeding its target of 4.5%, while health and social services recorded 6.86% growth against a 4% target.
Agriculture, however, remained below expectations, growing by 2.89% against a target of 4.5%. Major crops performed particularly weakly, registering only 0.65% growth compared to the 6.7% target. Cotton ginning showed minimal growth of 0.07% against a 7% target.
Livestock grew by 3.75%, slightly below the 4.2% target, while forestry expanded by 2.02% against a target of 3.5%. Fishing also remained under pressure, recording 1.66% growth against a 3% target.
The industrial sector grew by 3.51%, missing its 4.3% target. Mining and quarrying posted weak growth of 0.38% against a 3% target.
Manufacturing performed relatively better, growing by 6.61%, above the 4.7% target. Large-scale manufacturing increased by 6.11%, exceeding its 3.5% target, while small-scale industries grew by 8.50%, slightly below the 8.9% target.
Electricity, gas, and water supply recorded a sharp decline of 10.63%, compared to a positive growth target of 3.5%.
The construction sector grew by 5.73%, exceeding its target of 3.8%, while the services sector recorded 4.09% growth, close to its 4% target.
Wholesale and retail trade grew by 3.71%, slightly below its target of 3.9%, while transport and storage increased by 2.31%, missing the 3.4% target.
Hotels and restaurants posted 3.94% growth against a 4.1% target, while information and communication grew strongly by 7.52%, above the 5% target.
Financial and insurance activities showed weak performance with just 0.3% growth against a 5% target. Real estate activities grew by 3.63%, slightly below the 4.2% target.
Officials said budget consultations with provinces have been ongoing for several weeks.
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