SECP registers 3,161 companies in May, breaks single-day record with 415 incorporations

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 3,161 new companies in May 2026, lifting the country's total registered companies to 297,239.

The regulator also set a single-day record of 415 incorporations, the highest in its history, despite reduced working days due to Eid al-Adha holidays.

According to SECP, 99.9% of incorporations were completed online. The total number of registered companies in Pakistan reached 297,239.

The rise reflects growing corporatization in Pakistan and improved ease of doing business, the SECP added.

Which provinces saw the most company registrations?

Punjab remained the hub of business activity, accounting for 1,643 registrations, or 52% of the total. Islamabad Capital Territory followed with 596 companies, or 19%.

Sindh recorded 479 registrations, or 15%, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa logged 260, or 8%. Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan registered 112 and 71 companies, respectively.

Which corporate structures are most popular?

Private limited companies remained the preferred option, accounting for 1,884 registrations, or 60% of the total. Single-member companies (SMCs) followed with 1,212 registrations, or 38%.

Limited liability partnerships and other categories made up the remaining 65 registrations. The high share of SMCs reflects rising individual entrepreneurship and small-business formalization.

Which sectors are leading Pakistan's corporate growth?

Information technology and e-commerce led monthly registrations with 598 new incorporations. Trading followed with 503 companies, and services with 404.

Real estate development and construction registered 303 new companies. Tourism and transport added 206, reflecting broad expansion across multiple segments of the economy.

Which foreign investors are coming to Pakistan?

Foreign investors from 17 countries set up businesses locally during May, participating in 80 local companies. China led with 89 shareholders in the newly registered firms.

Afghanistan followed with 5 shareholders, the United States with 3, and Belgium, Russia, and South Korea with 2 each. Foreign investors contributed a total paid-up capital of PKR 139.4 million.

Chinese investors made the largest contribution, amounting to PKR 132.3 million. The capital inflows underline sustained international interest in Pakistan's regulatory environment.