Pakistan's Textile Industry: Current Status and Development
Pakistan's textile industry is a cornerstone of the country economy, contributing significantly to GDP, employment and exports.
| Current Status
Economic Contribution: The textile industry accounts for a substantial portion of Pakistan's GDP, reaching 8.5% in the 2022 fiscal year. It constitutes 46% of the country's manufacturing sector.
Employment: The industry employs around 15 million people, accounting for 38% of the manufacturing sector's total employment.
Exports: Textile and apparel exports are Pakistan's largest export category, contributing over 60% to total exports in recent years. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, textile exports totaled $9.09 billion in the first half, year-on-year growth of 10%.
Production Capacity: Pakistan is the world's fourth-largest producer of cotton.The country boasts a complete textile industry chain, spanning from cotton cultivation to spinning, weaving, and garment manufacturing, with major machinery imported from Japan and China.
| Development and Trends
The home textile market in Pakistan is projected to grow from 8.1 billion in 2024 to 9.91 billion by 2029, with a CAGR of 4.12%.
Textile exports have shown robust growth, with a 17.6% year-on-year increase in September 2024, reaching $1.605 billion. From January to September 2024, textile exports totaled $4.52 billion, a 9.3% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
The government has actively introduced a series of measures to support the development of the textile industry as well as the export of textile products.