According to sources, Pakistan’s economy registered a growth rate of 2.68%, falling short of the targeted 3.6%.

Despite missing the growth target, the overall size of the economy expanded by $39.3 billion, bringing the total to $410.96 billion up from $371.66 billion last year.

Additionally, per capita income rose by $144, while the economy’s size in local currency increased by Rs9,600 billion, reaching Rs114.7 trillion compared to Rs105.1 trillion in the previous fiscal year.

The agricultural sector showed mixed results. Crop production exceeded expectations with a 4.78% growth, above the 4.3% target. Livestock also outperformed, growing by 4.72% versus a 3.8% target.

However, cotton ginning faced a steep decline of -19%, far worse than the projected -2.3%, and fisheries grew by only 1.42%, missing the 3.1% goal. Forestry came close to its 3.2% target, growing at 3.03%.

The industrial sector grew by 4.77%, slightly surpassing its 4.4% target. However, the manufacturing sub-sector lagged behind at 1.34% growth. Large-scale manufacturing contracted by -1.53%, well below the 3.5% target, whereas small-scale manufacturing exceeded expectations with an 8.81% growth. Slaughtering activities grew 6.34%, beating the 3.8% benchmark.

A standout performer was the electricity, gas, and water supply sector, which posted an unprecedented 28.88% growth far surpassing the modest 2.5% target. It marked the highest growth across all sectors this year.

The construction industry also outpaced expectations, growing by 6.61% against a 5.5% target. In contrast, the services sector underperformed with a 2.91% growth rate, missing the 4.1% target.

Wholesale and retail trade saw minimal improvement at just 0.14%, against a 4.1% target. Hotels and restaurants nearly met expectations with a 4.06% growth.

The information and communication sector delivered a strong performance at 6.48%, while financial and insurance activities outperformed with a 5.7% growth, exceeding the 3.22% target.

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Real estate activities recorded a 3.75% growth, slightly above the 3.7% target. Education posted 4.43% growth, outperforming its 3.5% goal, while human health and social work registered a 3.71% increase, also above the 3.2% target.

The transport, storage, and communications sector lagged behind at 2.2%, compared to the 3.3% target. On the other hand, public administration and social security posted a significant 9.92% growth nearly triple its target of 3.4%.

The survey highlights both the challenges and resilience within Pakistan’s economy, setting the stage for upcoming policy decisions and the federal budget.