FY26: pharma output falls 8.87% and exports drop as the Afghan market stays shut
Official figures show a hard year for production and exports — and an ambitious roadmap to $10 billion in exports built on value addition.
FY26 was a difficult year for Pakistan’s pharmaceutical output and exports, even as retail sales and company profits rose.
Production
According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data reported by INP-WealthPK in September 2026, pharmaceutical output fell 8.87% in FY26, while large-scale manufacturing as a whole grew 4.98%. Pharmaceuticals subtracted 0.54 percentage points from overall growth, and June 2026 output was down 17.61% year on year.
Exports
| Period | Pharma exports |
|---|---|
| FY25 | About $457 million (+34%) |
| July–March FY26 | About $248 million (−30.1%) |
| July 2026 | About $28.2 million |
FY25 had been a record year, with exports up from $341 million in FY24. The FY26 fall followed the closure of the Afghan border crossings, Pakistan’s largest medicine market — see our article on the border closure.
The roadmap
Despite the setback, targets are rising. The roadmap reported by INP-WealthPK runs from the FY25 base to $2 billion, then $3 billion within three years through PharmEx, and $10 billion within eight years. The sector has 662 manufacturers; eight companies hold WHO, PIC/S or MHRA approvals, with 10–15 more expected by 2028.
Climbing the value chain
TDAP research officer Farah Hanif said the industry must “climb the value chain” into complex generics, biosimilars, vaccines and specialised injectables. Dr Muhammad Sajid of the University of Lahore argued that credible bioequivalence and bioanalytical facilities are needed to meet demanding registration requirements.
What it means
Higher-value exports need higher-specification plants, laboratories and quality systems — exactly what suppliers bring to Pharma Asia 2026. See also the WHO Maturity Level 3 drive.
