ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s public debt increased by Rs67 trillion over the past decade, reaching Rs86.7 trillion by June 2026, according to figures contained in a report by the Ministry of Finance.
The figures show that public debt stood at Rs19.7 trillion in June 2016 and increased to Rs86.7 trillion over the following 10 years, representing an increase of about 340%.
By June 2026, domestic public debt had reached Rs59.4 trillion, while external public debt stood at Rs27.3 trillion.
In June 2016, domestic public debt was recorded at Rs13.6 trillion and external public debt at Rs6.1 trillion, bringing the total to Rs19.7 trillion.
The Finance Ministry figures show that total public debt rose to Rs21.4 trillion by June 2017 and further increased to Rs24.9 trillion by June 2018.
The debt stock reached Rs32.7 trillion in June 2019 and stood at Rs36.4 trillion by June 2020.
By June 2021, Pakistan’s total public debt had risen to Rs39.9 trillion, according to the figures cited in the report.
Public debt refers to the total funds borrowed by a government from lenders within the country and abroad, including through loans and government securities. It generally increases when public expenditure exceeds the revenue collected through taxes and other sources.
