ISLAMABAD: The Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) sector has recorded a growth of 5.77 percent during July–May 2025-26 compared with the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, according to provisional data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Wednesday.
With LSM output witnessing an increase of 1.21 percent in May 2026, the Quantum Index of Manufacturing (QIM) for May was recorded at 116.10 points. However, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, QIM recorded a reduction of 0.98 percent, as in May 2025, it was reported at 117.25 points.
According to PBS, the LSM growth is mainly driven by the impressive performance of the automobile, sugar, food, garments, and petroleum products sectors.
Automobile remained the driver of the QIM growth as the automobile sector registered a remarkable increase of 20.81 percent in May and a cumulative 58.82 percent during July–May FY26.
In May, the sugar sector posted a monthly growth of 23.25 percent and a cumulative growth of 31.54 percent, garments 7.05 percent monthly growth and a 7.31 percent cumulative expansion, reflecting continued strength in export-oriented textile manufacturing.
Petroleum products with 15.75 percent monthly and 10.56 percent cumulative growth, cotton cloth recorded 0.04 percent monthly and 0.17 percent cumulative growth, and cotton yarn registered a decline of 1.28 percent on a monthly basis, and on a cumulative basis, it registered an increase of 1.26 percent.
However, cement sector growth witnessed a fall of 9.36 percent on a monthly basis, while on a cumulative basis, it registered a decrease of 7.16 percent, and the Iron/Steel sector growth witnessed a decline of 12.57 percent on a monthly basis and 7.49 percent on an annual basis. Fertiliser sector declined by 4.77 percent on a monthly basis, and on a cumulative basis, it fell by 2.25 percent in May 2026.
Following are the main contributors towards overall growth of 5.77 percent: Food (1.36 percent), beverages (0.24 percent), tobacco (0.20 percent), textile negative (0.02 percent), garments (1.20 percent), petroleum products (0.78 percent), chemicals negative (0.21 percent), pharmaceuticals negative (0.49 percent), cement (0.40 percent), iron/steel products negative (0.32 percent), electrical equipment (0.35 percent), machinery and equipment (0.0001 percent), automobiles (1.53 percent), other transport equipment (0.26 percent), and furniture (0.33 percent).
The data revealed that on monthly basis, food sector posted 7.43 percent growth, cumulative basis 1.36 percent and annual basis 7.75 percent, tobacco sector on monthly basis grew by 13.26 percent, cumulative basis 0.20 percent and annual basis 12.79 percent, rubber products in May grew up by 6.58 percent, cumulative basis 0.03 percent and annual basis 14.20 percent, textile sector in May posted a growth of 4.35 percent, July-May 2026 a growth of 0.09 percent and annual basis this sector grew up by 0.02 percent.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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