ISLAMABAD – A recent report by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has shed light on a significant disparity in the nation’s banking landscape. It reveals that a staggering 71% of all bank accounts in Pakistan have balances below Rs50,000, underlining the limited savings capacity of most account holders.
In sharp contrast, only 3% of accounts maintain deposits exceeding Rs1 million, a figure that underscores the growing income and wealth gap in the country.
Despite these imbalances, the report highlights a promising shift in how people access banking services. The adoption of digital banking continues to surge, with 89% of all retail transactions now being carried out through digital platforms such as mobile banking apps and internet banking portals.
During the third quarter of FY2025 alone, Pakistan’s instant digital payment system processed 371 million transactions, with a combined value of Rs8.5 trillion—showing how consumers are increasingly embracing online financial tools.
Meanwhile, the Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system, used primarily for high-value interbank transactions, processed a remarkable Rs347 trillion over the same period, reaffirming the robustness of Pakistan’s digital financial infrastructure.
