Pakistan’s mobile phone output falls 12% in December

Local mobile phone manufacturers and assemblers produced 2.61 million handsets in December, down 12% from 2.95 million units a year earlier, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

Cumulative local manufacturing and assembly totaled 30.21 million units in 2025, a 4% decline from the previous year.

The drop in output was largely driven by subdued consumer demand as mobile phone replacement cycles have lengthened globally to about 40 months, dampening sales momentum, according to a report of Topline Securities.

Of the total units produced during the year, smartphones accounted for 52%, or 15.64 million units, while the remaining 48%, or 14.57 million units, were 2G phones.

Despite the annual decline, Pakistan met 93% of its mobile phone demand through local manufacturing and assembly in 2025.

This compares with an average of 77% over the past five years (2020-2024) and 52% over the nine-year period from 2016 to 2024, reflecting a continued shift toward domestic production.

Infinix led local assembly volumes during the year with 3.65 million units, followed by VGO Tel at 3.57 million units and Vivo at 2.80 million units. Other leading brands included Itel (2.34 million), Samsung (1.85 million), Tecno (1.84 million), Xiaomi (1.38 million), Q Mobile (1.11 million), Realme (1.06 million) and OPPO (1.01 million).

Looking ahead, mobile phone sales are expected to grow 7% to 8% year over year over the next 12 months, supported by a stable Pakistani rupee, easing inflation and improving consumer purchasing power.

Among listed companies, Airlink Communication and Lucky Cement are expected to benefit from higher demand, as brands they locally assemble, including Tecno, Xiaomi and Samsung, rank among the country’s top 10.