Pakistan bank deposits hit historic high in March 2026

BusinessMust ReadPakistan bank deposits hit historic high in March 2026By Web Desk-Apr 20, 2026 KARACHI: In a significant milestone for the country’s financial sector, bank deposits in Pakistan have surged to a new record high, reaching Rs 37,505 billion as of March 2026, ARY News reported. According to the latest data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the banking sector witnessed a monthly growth of 2.50 percent and a substantial annual increase of 18.60 percent. The central bank’s statistics reveal that bank deposits saw an unprecedented influx of Rs 919 billion in just a single month. This surge follows a previous high recorded in December 2025, when deposits stood at Rs 37,430 billion. On a year-on-year basis, the total volume of deposits increased by a staggering Rs 5,879 billion by March 2026. Economic experts noted that the trend of rising bank deposits became more pronounced starting in 2025. They pointed out that prior to that year, deposit growth was significantly hindered by the Advance-to-Deposit Ratio (ADR) tax. However, as those pressures eased, the momentum shifted toward higher savings. Looking ahead, market analysts and experts expect the deposit growth rate to remain robust throughout 2026, with forecasts placing the growth between 10% and 15% for the remainder of the year. Also Read: Pakistan’s remittances rise to $3.5bln in January 2026: SBP Earlier, Pakistan received $3.5 billion in remittances in January 2026, marking a 15.4 per cent increase compared to January 2025. The central bank said that during the first seven months of the current financial year, remittances rose by 11.3 per cent to $23.2 billion, compared with $20.9 billion in the same period last year. In January 2026, Saudi Arabia remained the largest source of remittances for Pakistan, with inflows amounting to $739.6 million. This was followed by the United Arab Emirates, from where $694.2 million were received. Remittances from the United Kingdom stood at $572.1 millio...