Pakistan’s digital economy could hit 7% of GDP by 2030

April 1, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan’s digital economy has the potential to contribute 5–7% to the country’s GDP by 2030 if structural challenges are addressed and key reforms are accelerated, according to the OICCI Digital Report 2025.

The report emphasizes the growing role of digital technologies as a driver of productivity, exports, and financial inclusion.

The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) introduced its flagship report, “Recommendations for Pakistan’s Digital Future”, on Wednesday, offering a detailed assessment of the country’s digital ecosystem, policy gaps, and growth opportunities.

The report highlights robust momentum in digital adoption. Pakistan’s IT and IT-enabled services (IteS) exports reached $3.8bn, while the freelance economy generated $779m in earnings.

With more than 150m broadband subscriptions and over 200m telecom connections, the mobile ecosystem alone contributes an estimated $17bn to the national economy.

Despite this progress, the OICCI report points to critical infrastructure gaps. Only 18% of cellular towers are fibre-connected, well below the global benchmark of 40%, limiting network capacity and readiness for next-generation technologies like 5G.

OICCI President Yousaf Hussain highlighted achievements in digital finance and inclusion. “Pakistan has made notable strides in digital payments. The Raast instant payment system processed Rs18tr in peer-to-peer transactions in FY26, showing rapid adoption of digital financial services,” he said.

Hussain added that infrastructure bottlenecks and regulatory delays continue to constrain the sector’s full potential.

OICCI Secretary General M. Abdul Aleem emphasized that while policy dialogue has improved, execution remains slow.

“Only one-quarter of our digital policy recommendations from the 2022 report have been implemented. Accelerated fibre deployment, faster reform execution, and a more investment-friendly regulatory framework are essential to unlock Pakistan’s digital potential,” he noted.

The report calls for lower taxes on broadband services and digital devices, accelerated fibre rollout, clear regulations on data protection and cybersecurity, and stronger public-private collaboration to establish Pakistan as a competitive digital economy in the region.

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