Pakistan’s trade deficit widened by 22.65% to $27.81 billion during the first nine months of the current fiscal year (9MFY26), compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Thursday.
In the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year (9MFY25), the trade deficit stood at $22.67 billion.
The year-on-year increase in the deficit was mainly due to a rise in imports alongside a decline in exports.
Exports during 9MFY26 totaled $22.73 billion, marking an 8% drop from $24.72 billion in the same period last year. Meanwhile, imports rose by 6.64% to $50.54 billion, compared to $47.39 billion previously.
For March 2026, exports were recorded at $2.26 billion, reflecting a 14.4% decrease from $2.64 billion in March 2025. Imports for the month came in at $4.99 billion, down 5.37% from $5.28 billion a year earlier.
As a result, the trade deficit for March 2026 reached $2.73 billion, up 3.71% from $2.63 billion in March 2025. However, on a month-to-month basis, the deficit narrowed by 9.36% compared to $3.01 billion in February 2026.
