Pakistan’s petroleum import bill recorded a significant increase during the first nine months of fiscal year 2025-26, despite the federal government’s ongoing austerity policies. According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, the country imported petroleum products worth $8.93 billion between July and March, reflecting a rise of $530 million compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year.
The survey revealed that overall petroleum consumption reached 13.6 million metric tons during the nine-month period, registering a 3.5 percent increase compared to the previous year. The rise in consumption was largely driven by growing demand in the transportation sector.
The transport sector remained the largest consumer of petroleum products, accounting for 82 percent of total demand. Fuel consumption in the sector increased by 6.7 percent, rising from 10 million metric tons to approximately 11.2 million metric tons during the period under review.
In contrast, the industrial sector witnessed a sharp decline in petroleum consumption. According to the survey, industrial usage fell by 42.6 percent, dropping from 754,000 metric tons to 433,000 metric tons. The sector’s share in total petroleum demand stood at just 3.2 percent.
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The power sector also recorded a decline in fuel consumption, with petroleum usage decreasing by 15 percent. Similarly, household consumption of petroleum products fell by 51 percent, indicating changing energy consumption patterns across different sectors of the economy.
Data from the Economic Survey showed that Pakistan imported petroleum products worth $8.93 billion from July to March FY 2025-26, compared to $8.40 billion during the corresponding period of FY 2024-25. This resulted in an overall increase of $530 million in the country’s petroleum import expenditure.
A breakdown of imports revealed that Pakistan imported petrol worth $2.96 billion during the nine-month period, while crude oil imports amounted to approximately $5 billion. In addition, diesel imports were valued at $747.9 million, while high-octane fuel imports reached $138.3 million. Analysts believe that fluctuations in international oil prices and rising transport demand played a major role in increasing the country’s petroleum import bill despite government efforts to control spending.
