Federal govt debt rises by more than Rs18.8 trillion in 28 months

ISLAMABAD: Federal government debt increased by more than Rs18.8 trillion during the first 28 months of the period from March 2024 through June 2026, according to State Bank of Pakistan data.

State Bank documents showed that the government’s domestic debt rose by Rs16.766 trillion during the period, while external debt increased by Rs2.066 trillion.

The overall increase translates into an average rise of more than Rs22.4 billion per day, according to the documents.

The federal government’s total debt stood at Rs64.810 trillion by February 2024, the final month of the caretaker government. After the increase over the following 28 months, the debt reached Rs83.642 trillion by June 2026.

According to the State Bank, the central government’s domestic debt increased from Rs42.675 trillion in February 2024 to Rs59.441 trillion by June 2026.

Meanwhile, the federal government’s external debt rose from Rs22.134 trillion to Rs24.201 trillion during the same period.