Current account posts surplus of $1.07bn in March

Pakistan recorded a sizable current account surplus in March, it emerged on Wednesday.

In a post on social media platform X, the State Bank of Pakistan said, “Current account balance recorded a surplus of $1,070 million in Mar 2026 compared to a surplus of $231 million in Feb 2026.”

Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said on X, “Pakistan’s external account continues to strengthen, delivering a third consecutive monthly surplus in 2026.”

He said that the figures for March were “among the strongest monthly outcomes on record”. He said that the surplus was the “second-highest ever”, only behind $1.2bn in March 2025.

“Pakistan’s external sector is firming up, with sustained surpluses signalling improving balance of payments stability,” he said.

The current account deficit — a long-standing issue facing Pakistan’s economy — has been addressed by a significant reduction in imports, resulting in a surplus.

Arif Habib Limited noted that for the first nine months of the current fiscal year, the country had posted a current account surplus of $8 million, compared to a surplus of $1.674bn during the same period last year.

Topline Securities noted that the current account surplus on a month-on-month basis increased due to lower goods and services deficit and higher remittances.