How Much Debt Does Every Pakistani Carry?

Published On: January 29, 2026

How Much Debt Does Every Pakistani Carry?

The Ministry of Finance has revealed a significant rise in Pakistan’s public debt, showing that every citizen now bears an average debt of 333,341 PKR.

According to the Annual Fiscal Policy Statement presented in Parliament, the per capita debt increased by 13% compared to the previous fiscal year. In FY 2023-24, the debt per citizen was 294,098 PKR, rising by nearly 39,243 PKR in just one year. This calculation is based on a population of approximately 241.5 million people.

Key Numbers from the Report

Total public debt rose from 71.2 trillion PKR in June 2024 to 80.5 trillion PKR in June 2025.
The increase is primarily due to higher interest payments and currency exchange fluctuations.
The federal fiscal deficit reached 6.2% of GDP, exceeding the legal limit of 3.5%, resulting in nearly 3 trillion PKR extra deficit.
Public debt to GDP ratio increased from 67.6% to 70.7%.

Government Spending Highlights

Total federal expenditures for FY 2024-25 were 18.9 trillion PKR, with 17.2 trillion PKR spent during the year.
Additional spending equal to 2.7% of GDP was made outside the original budget.
Tax revenues were 11.7 trillion PKR, achieving 90.5% of the target.
Non-tax revenues performed better than expected at 5.1 trillion PKR.
Development spending was 1.4 trillion PKR against a target of 1.7 trillion PKR, while defense spending exceeded the budget at 2.2 trillion PKR.
Interest payments on public debt amounted to 8.8 trillion PKR.

Conclusion

The rising public debt poses a major challenge for Pakistan’s economy, especially for citizens who indirectly carry the burden. Experts warn that sustainable fiscal policies and efficient tax collection are crucial to prevent further debt escalation and ensure economic stability.