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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded current account surplus of $582 million for the month of December, according to the latest data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). This follows a surplus of $684 million in November and $279 million in the same month last year.
For the first half of the fiscal year 2025 (6MFY25), the country’s cumulative current account surplus stood at $1.21 billion, marking a significant 186.6 per cent increase compared to the $1.4 billion deficit recorded in 6MFY24.
In terms of trade, Pakistan’s exports saw a notable increase of 8.7 per cent in December, reaching $3.84 billion, up from $3.53 billion in the same month in 2023. This also represented a 12.5 per cent rise from the $3.41 billion in exports recorded the previous month.
However, the country’s imports also surged, rising 15.1 per cent to $5.78 billion compared to $5.02 billion in December 2023. On a monthly basis, imports climbed 16.4 per cent.
As a result, the trade deficit for goods and services widened by 30.2 per cent year-on-year to $1.94 billion, with a 25 per cent increase compared to the previous month.
For the cumulative period of 6MFY25, the trade deficit reached $13.1 billion, up by 13.1 per cent from $11.59 billion in the same period last year.
On a positive note, Pakistan saw a significant rise in workers’ remittances. In December 2023, remittances surged by 29.3 per cent to $3.08 billion, compared to $2.38 billion in the previous year. On a monthly basis, remittances rose by 5.6 per cent from $2.92 billion in November 2023.
