ISLAMABAD: Large-Scale Manufacturing (LSM) has experienced a negative growth of 1.5 percent during July-March 2025 in contrast to a slight decline of 0.22 percent observed in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Within manufacturing, LSM plays a dominant role, accounting for 67.5 percent of the manufacturing sector and 8.0 percent of GDP, followed by Small-Scale Manufacturing (SSM) and Slaughtering, which contribute 2.4 percent and 1.4 percent to GDP, respectively, according to Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25.
The quarterly pattern highlights continued challenges in LSM, which has consistently weighed down industrial performance in the outgoing fiscal year.
Gradual recovery likely in LSM sector, says FD
Overall manufacturing growth slowed to 1.3 percent in FY 2025, compared to 3.0 percent last year. This deceleration was primarily driven by a contraction of 1.5 percent in LSM, compared to a modest growth of 0.9 percent in the previous year. In contrast, SSM and Slaughtering grew by 8.8 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively, providing some support to the sector.
This marks the third consecutive year of negative growth in LSM, which can be attributed to ongoing structural challenges, elevated input costs, and downturns in critical sectors such as Food, Chemicals, Iron & Steel, and Electrical Equipment. Despite the overall lacklustre performance, nearly half of the LSM sectors demonstrated positive growth, including significant industries such as Wearing Apparel, Textiles, Coke & Petroleum Products, Pharmaceuticals, and Automobiles, according to the survey.
However, in March 2025, the growth of LSM registered a Year-on-Year (YoY) increase of 1.8 percent, in contrast to a growth rate of 1.7 percent during the same month in the previous year. On a Month-on-Month (MoM) basis, LSM experienced a decline of 4.6 percent in March2025, following a drop of 5.6 percent in February 2025.
The LSM, based on the Quantum Index of Manufacturing (QIM), declined by 1.53 percent during current fiscal 2025, compared to a growth of 0.94 percent last year. The slowdown reflects mixed performance across key industries - declines were observed in chemicals (-5.51%), iron and steel (-10.94%), electrical equipment (-15.89%), and fabricated metal products (-17.16%), while strong growth was recorded in automobiles (40.0%), wearing apparel (7.62%), textiles (2.15%), and petroleum products (4.48%)
High input costs, and elevated tax rates, continued to pose headwinds to LSM growth.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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