Visa reports sharp surge in consumer spending in Pakistan

KARACHI: Visa reported a sharp surge in consumer spending in Pakistan during the Ramazan and Eid-ul-Fitr period, with transactions on its premium consumer cards rising 80 percent year-on-year, driven by increased expenditure on travel, everyday retail, and food-related categories.

Spending by international visitors from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Canada, Ireland, Turkey and Italy, using Visa premium consumer cards in Pakistan increased 30 percent.

International travel spending from Pakistan on Visa premium consumer cards increased around 35 percent. Booking behaviour skewed toward shorter lead times, with 70 percent of trips booked within one month of travel, with 65 percent of outbound travel spending by Pakistani travellers preferring longer getaways or more than 3 days. Spending to destinations including Saudi, UAE and UK increased 55 percent.

Spending behaviour during Ramadan reflected both premonth stockup and inmonth instore activity. In the week preceding Ramadan (11–17 Feb), food and grocery spending rose 25 percent compared to the prior week (4–10 Feb). During Ramadan, retail (10 percent) and food and dining (25 percent) together accounted for a significant proportion of instore spending. Spending activity also occurred later in the day, with postIftar evening spending (9pm–11pm) up 30 percent and pre-Sehri spending (12am–4am) up 85 percent compared to nonRamadan weeks.

Spending peaked around Eid AlFitr, with total spending up 10 percent during the Eid period (16–19 Mar) compared to the preceding days (12–15 Mar). During Eid, spending on food and quickservice restaurants increased 15 percent compared to the preceding days, while retail spending rose 40 percent.

Umar S. Khan, Country Manager for Visa in Pakistan & Afghanistan, said, “The Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr period saw higher spending across travel and everyday retail categories, reflecting both inbound visitor activity and sustained local spending. These insights highlight how consumer behaviour shifts during key seasonal moments and underscore the opportunity for businesses to respond with more relevant and seamless commerce experiences.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026