Karachi is routinely called Pakistan’s economic engine — a claim backed by hard numbers. The city generates roughly a quarter of the national economy, hosts the stock exchange, and moves almost everything the country trades. This guide pulls together what is actually known about Karachi’s GDP per capita, and what remains estimate rather than fact.
Quick answer: Karachi contributes an estimated 20–25% of Pakistan’s GDP — about US$103 billion of a US$411 billion economy — which implies a nominal GDP per capita of roughly US$5,000, more than double the national average of US$1,824. On a purchasing-power basis, estimates run to US$8,000–10,000 per person. No official city-level GDP exists; all figures are estimates.
In this guide
Karachi’s Share of the National Economy
The most cited figure — that Karachi generates 20–25% of Pakistan’s GDP — is echoed across sources from The News to the World Bank’s urban analyses. With the national economy at US$410.96 billion in FY25 (PBS), a quarter share puts Karachi’s output at roughly US$103 billion — bigger than the entire economies of many countries.
The supporting evidence is strong: the city produces about 30% of value added in large-scale manufacturing, collects around half of the Federal Board of Revenue’s total receipts, and its ports — Karachi Port and Port Qasim — handle roughly 95% of Pakistan’s foreign trade. Around 90% of multinational companies operating in Pakistan are headquartered in the city.
The Per Capita Maths
The 2023 census put Karachi division’s population at 20,382,881 — and the city proper at about 18.87 million, per the PBS. Take US$103 billion in output and divide by roughly 20 million people:
| Measure | Karachi (est.) | Pakistan (official) |
|---|---|---|
| GDP | ~US$103bn (25% of US$411bn) | US$410.96bn |
| Population | ~20.4m (division, 2023 census) | 241.49m |
| Per capita (nominal) | ~US$5,000 | US$1,824 |
So Karachi’s per capita output is roughly 2.5–3 times the national average — comparable to lower-middle-income countries’ national averages, while the rest of Pakistan sits far below.
What PPP Estimates Say
Independent city-economy studies put Karachi’s GDP (PPP) at about US$164 billion as of 2019. A well-known PricewaterhouseCoopers study of the world’s top cities estimated Karachi’s GDP (PPP) at US$75 billion in 2008 and projected US$193 billion by 2025 at 5.5% growth. Against a 2025 population of roughly 20–22 million, that implies PPP per capita of US$8,000–10,000 — similar to the national PPP figure for countries like the Philippines.
For context on how these national-level numbers are built, see our main guide on Pakistan’s GDP per capita.
What Drives Karachi’s Economy
- Trade and logistics: the two ports handle some 95% of foreign trade; the city is the gateway for imports and the exit point for exports.
- Finance: the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the State Bank’s head office and nearly every bank’s headquarters sit in Karachi.
- Industry: textiles, steel, chemicals, food processing and pharmaceuticals cluster in SITE, Korangi, Landhi and Port Qasim industrial zones.
- Services: IT, media, advertising and the corporate head offices that generate the highest-value jobs in the country.
This concentration is also why the city dominates federal tax collection — Karachi accounts for about half of FBR receipts, including roughly three-quarters of customs duty.
Caveats: Why the Numbers Are Fuzzy
1. No official city GDP exists. The PBS does not publish district-level national accounts, so every Karachi GDP figure is an estimate built on shares, surveys or models.
2. The 25% share is old. Most citations trace to studies from the 2010s; the true share today could be higher or lower as the rest of the economy (and Punjab’s industry) has grown.
3. Inequality is extreme. A per capita figure of US$5,000 sits oddly beside neighbourhoods where most residents earn a fraction of that — around 60% of the city’s population lives in informal settlements, per urban researchers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Karachi’s GDP per capita?
There is no official figure, but reasonable estimates put it at roughly US$5,000 in nominal terms and US$8,000–10,000 in PPP terms — about 2.5–3 times the national average — based on Karachi generating 20–25% of Pakistan’s US$411 billion economy.
What percentage of Pakistan’s GDP comes from Karachi?
An estimated 20–25%, a figure cited across Pakistani media and World Bank-linked research. The city also produces about 30% of large-scale manufacturing value added.
Is Karachi richer than the rest of Pakistan?
On average, yes — its per capita output is a multiple of the national figure. But the average hides deep inequality: much of the city’s population lives in informal settlements with far lower incomes.
Why is there no official Karachi GDP figure?
Pakistan’s national accounts are compiled at national and provincial level only. The PBS does not publish district or city GDP, so researchers build estimates from tax data, industrial surveys and economic models.
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