Pakistan’s locally assembled mobile phone sales edge up in April-May amid broader slowdown

Local mobile phone manufacturing and assembly in Pakistan saw a modest rise in April and May, although the broader market remains under pressure due to declining consumer spending and fewer new model launches.

According to data released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), domestic companies produced 4.84 million mobile phone units during April and May, reflecting a 4% increase from 4.65 million units in the same period last year.

However, the uptick does little to reverse the broader slowdown. A report from Topline Securities noted that total locally manufactured or assembled phone sales for the first 11 months of fiscal year 2024-25 dropped 8% year-on-year to 26.09 million units. Similarly, in the five months of 2025 alone, local output totaled 12.05 million units, also down 8% from the same period in 2024.

Analysts attributed the decline to several factors. A high base effect from 2024 skewed comparisons, as pent-up demand had driven record sales following the easing of import restrictions.

Additionally, Pakistan’s mobile phone replacement cycle has lengthened from 2.5 to 3.5 years, due in part to a lack of compelling new models entering the market.

Consumer demand has also been suppressed by sustained inflationary pressures and weaker rural and agricultural incomes.

Within the 12.05 million units assembled in the first five months of 2025, 2G phones still account for a slim majority — 54% (6.53 million units) — while smartphones comprised 46% (5.52 million units).

Despite the slowdown, the country has made significant strides in domestic production. During the five-month period, local manufacturing fulfilled 94% of total mobile phone demand, well above the five-year average of 77% (2020-2024) and the nine-year average of 52% (2016-2024).

The top 10 locally assembled brands during the period were led by Infinix with 1.34 million units, followed closely by VGO Tel at 1.33 million units. Other leading brands included Itel (1.07 million), Vivo (0.96 million), Samsung (0.67 million), Xiaomi (0.65 million), G’Five (0.64 million), Tecno (0.62 million), Nokia (0.52 million), and QMobile (0.5 million).