Exports as a percentage of GDP have consistently declined while poor Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) could not generate higher economic productivity, said the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). In a detailed research in the half-yearly report on the State of the Economy 2024-25, released on Monday, the central bank observed that one of the key underlying issues facing Pakistan’s economy was weak com
Bulls bounced back on the trading floor on Tuesday as shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange climbed more than 800 points after a day of volatility. The benchmark KSE-100 index climbed 808.28 points, or 0.71 per cent, to stand at 114,872.18 from the previous close of 114,063.90. Awais Ashraf, director of research at AKD Securities, said, attributed the bull run to the announcement of the Inte
IT was in 1776, the year of the American Declaration of Independence, that celebrated economist Adam Smith’s magnum opus Wealth of Nations was published. While almost everyone in the economics fraternity — and a considerable number outside of it — is aware of the work, not many bother to delve into what he wrote or to contemplate what he said. (It is amusing to see folks, who have never read a
In late March 2025, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics released the country’s economic growth figures for the second quarter (October-December) of FY25. The data painted a worrying picture: the agriculture sector grew by just 1.1 per cent. The first quarter was even worse, barely registering a growth rate of 0.74pc (revised figure). That is a massive fall from FY24, when agriculture posted a robust
Once a rising economic power in South Asia, Pakistan now finds itself at the bottom of the regional ladder. Fifty years ago, the average Pakistani had a higher income than his South Asian peers. Today, he earns about half as much. What went wrong, and what must be done to turn things around? The roots of Pakistan’s economic troubles go back decades. A booming population and poor economic manage