ADB sees Pakistan’s growth at 3pc
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected Pakistan’s economy to grow at a steady pace of 3pc in FY26, even as it lowered growth forecasts for the broader Asian region amid global trade uncertainty. In its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) July 2025, released on Wednesday, the ADB noted that Pakistan’s provisional growth for FY25 was revised upward to 2.7pc, from its earlier projection of 2.5pc issued in April. However, the forecast for FY26 remains unchanged at 3pc—well below the government’s target of 4.2pc. The upward revision for FY25 reflects a better-than-expected performance in the industrial and services sectors, although agricultural output declined as anticipated. The report also noted a sharper-than-expected drop in food and non-food prices over the first 11 months of FY25, prompting a downward revision in Pakistan’s inflation forecast for the fiscal year, while the FY26 outlook remains unchanged.