ISLAMABAD: Local mobile assembly and manufacturers in Pakistan produced 22.60 million mobile phones during the first nine months of 2024 (Jan-Sep). Of these, 13.86 million were smartphones, while 8.73 million were 2G devices, according to data on local production.
In terms of commercial imports, 1.1 million mobile phones were imported during the same period.
Among brands, Infinix led local production, manufacturing 2.79 million units in the first nine months of 2024.
It’s important to highlight that mobile phone production has been in decline since 2022 due to economic challenges, including rising interest rates, which have impacted the local industry. In 2021, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported 24.66 million locally manufactured devices, but that number dropped to 21.28 million in 2023, reflecting a 13.71% decrease.
A sharper decline occurred in commercial imports, which fell from 24.51 million in 2020 to just 1.58 million in 2023.
However, production is now recovering, supported by signs of economic improvement and interest rate cuts by the central bank. The earlier decline was largely due to import restrictions imposed to narrow the trade deficit and reduce foreign currency outflows.
With the growing reach of internet services in Pakistan, the share of smartphones on local networks has increased to 64%, up from 59% in 2023 and 56% in 2022. In contrast, the use of 2G devices has dropped to 36%, down from 41% in 2023 and 44% in 2022.
