Pakistan faced an estimated $1.62 billion in economic losses due to internet outages and social media restrictions in 2024, according to a global web monitoring report. These losses surpassed those recorded in war-torn countries such as Sudan and Myanmar.
The report, published by Top10VPN.com, an independent VPN review platform, revealed that global internet disruptions lasted a total of 88,788 hours in 2024, resulting in financial damages of approximately $7.69 billion.
The analysis focused solely on government-imposed internet shutdowns, including complete blackouts, social media restrictions, and bandwidth throttling. These measures were enforced 167 times across 28 countries, with Asia being the most affected region. Pakistan, alongside Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India, ranked among the top six countries experiencing the highest number of disruptions.
Amid growing concerns over the economic impact of such restrictions, Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim urged the government to address the issue. Speaking to Arab News, Ibrahim emphasized the crucial role of IT-enabled infrastructure in driving economic growth in Pakistan.
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“Nearly 70% of our revenue is derived from internet and data services, so these shutdowns significantly impact telecom operators. However, the broader economic damage is far greater, affecting customer convenience and business operations across sectors,” Ibrahim said.
He added that the overall cost to Pakistan’s economy due to internet disruptions amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars.
