Local Mobile Manufacturing Takes a Massive Hit in April

Pakistan’s local mobile phone manufacturing and assembly declined sharply in April 2026, with production falling 35 percent month on month to 1.81 million units from 2.79 million units in March, according to data released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and compiled by Topline Research.

The decline translated into almost one million fewer handsets being manufactured or assembled during the month, highlighting a significant slowdown after strong production levels recorded in March.

Despite the monthly drop, local manufacturers continued to dominate Pakistan’s mobile phone market. Domestic assembly accounted for 83 percent of total mobile phone demand in April, compared with 89 percent in March. Imported handsets stood at 0.37 million units during the month, up 6 percent from 0.35 million units a month earlier.

During the first four months of calendar year 2026, local manufacturers and assemblers produced a cumulative 9.17 million mobile phones, while imports totaled 1.59 million units. Combined mobile phone availability reached 10.76 million units during the period, with locally assembled devices accounting for approximately 85 percent of the market.

The data further shows that total mobile phone availability in April stood at 2.18 million units, down 34 percent from 3.14 million units recorded in March, reflecting weaker overall market activity during the month.

A year-on-year comparison could not be conducted because PTA published April and May 2025 figures on a cumulative basis, making direct comparisons unavailable.