76,007 Billion Pakistani Rupees: Highest-Ever Debt Mountain Crushes Islamabad

Last Updated:June 09, 2025, 16:31 IST

The document of Economic Survey of Pakistan, reviewed by CNN-News18, has said that “excessive or poorly managed debt can pose serious vulnerabilities."

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif | File Image

Pakistan’s debt is at its highest-ever level, Pakistan’s Economic Survey released on Monday has revealed. This paints a worrisome situation of Pakistan’s finances.

The document reviewed by CNN-NEWS18 says that the total public debt of Pakistan (ending March 2025) has reached 76,007 Billion Pakistani Rupee (76 trillion), the highest-ever in the country’s history. This public debt of Pakistan has nearly doubled in last four years, as it stood at Rs 39,860 Billion in 2020-21. Ten years ago, Pakistan’s Public debt stood at Rs 17,380 billion. So, the public debt has ballooned by nearly five times in Pakistan over a decade.

The Rs 76,007 Billion figure includes Rs 51,518 billion of domestic debt and Rs 24,489 billion of external debt. The Economic Survey of Pakistan has said that “excessive or poorly managed debt can pose serious vulnerabilities, such as rising interest burdens and can undermine long-term fiscal sustainability and economic security if left unaddressed."

Pakistan has received a US $ 1.03 billion aid under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility.

“The growth in public debt during the first nine months of FY 25 was 6.7 per cent," the economic survey has said.

Pakistan has been infamous for seeking bailouts from international organisations as well as ‘friendly countries’ with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif going to the extent of saying that “today, when we go to any friendly country or make a phone call, they think that we have come to them to beg for money."

Sharif had earlier also said even small economies have surpassed Pakistan, “and we have been wandering for the past 75 years carrying a begging bowl".

CNN-NEWS18 earlier reported today that while India has brought a record number of people out of poverty as per the World Bank but the latter’s latest projection on Pakistan says nearly 45 per cent of its population lives in poverty, while 16.5 per cent lives in extreme poverty.

This is after a World Bank revision of the threshold poverty line last week. In an assessment earlier this April, the World Bank had said 1.9 million additional people fell into poverty in 2024-25 in Pakistan.

India has been making a case before the IMF and the World Bank that Pakistan has been misusing global aid for the purposes of terrorism against India. The World Bank data could be further used by India to raise strong doubts on how Pakistan has been using global aid from agencies like the Monetary Fund (IMF) for the purported benefit of its common people.

News world 76,007 Billion Pakistani Rupees: Highest-Ever Debt Mountain Crushes Islamabad