Population
255M
Online population
116M
Currency
PKR
Population - 245M
At the start of 2025, 38.6% of Pakistan’s population lived in urban centres, while 61.4% lived in rural areas.
Internet penetration - 45.7%
There were 111M internet users in Pakistan at the start of 2025.
In 2025, Pakistan’s fintech sector has moved from scattered experimentation toward coordinated national development. After years of grassroots-led digital adoption—particularly in payments and lending—2025 marks a turning point: a maturing fintech environment, increasingly shaped by regulation, state-backed initiatives, and institutional participation.
As of mid-2025, Pakistan is home to over 300 active fintech startups, a sharp rise from fewer than 100 just five years ago. This surge reflects both local demand for financial inclusion and increased confidence from investors and regulators. The ecosystem spans digital payments, lending, insurance, personal finance, and blockchain-based services. Importantly, many of these startups are now moving beyond pilot phases, scaling nationwide and seeking partnerships with banks, telecoms, and even government bodies.
National Strategy: Using Fintech to Drive Financial Inclusion
In 2025, Pakistan’s government and central bank introduced the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS 2024–28), a five-year roadmap aimed at significantly expanding access to formal financial services.
The particularity of this strategy is its clear emphasis on fintech as the engine of inclusion. Authorities explicitly identified digital wallets, mobile payments, fintech platforms, and open banking as essential tools to reach the large underserved population—including rural residents, women, and informal workers.
The NFIS outlines the following digital priorities: