Pakistan achieves 95% mobile phone demand through local manufacturing

Pakistan met 95% of its mobile phone demand through local manufacturing and assembly in 2024, marking a significant increase from the five-year average (2019-2023) of 67% and the eight-year average (2016-2023) of 47%, according to data released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

Total locally manufactured and assembled mobile phones reached 31.38 million units in 2024, reflecting a 47% year-over-year increase.

This surge was largely driven by economic recovery, a rising share of locally assembled mobile phones due to higher taxes on imports, and a growing population, an analyst at Topline Securities said.

Of the 31.38 million units produced, 59% (18.64 million units) were smartphones, while the remaining 41% (12.74 million units) were 2G phones. Local companies produced 2.95 million units in December 2024 alone, up 28% from the previous month.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, local companies assembled 8.79 million units, a 67% increase from the 5.25 million units produced in the third quarter of 2024. For the full year, the 31.38 million units produced represented a 47% year-over-year increase, largely due to import restrictions imposed in the previous year.

The top 10 locally assembled brands in 2024 included Infinix (3.98 million units), Itel (3.64 million units), VGO Tel (3.37 million units), Tecno (2.85 million units), Vivo (2.77 million units), Xiaomi (2.35 million units), Realme (1.76 million units), Samsung (1.51 million units), G'Five (1.44 million units), and Nokia (1.36 million units).

Air Link Communication's (AIRLINK) locally assembled Tecno and Xiaomi mobile phones ranked among the top 10 in 2024. Tecno's production increased by 97% year-over-year to 2.85 million units, while Xiaomi's production grew by 79% year-over-year to 2.35 million units.