Pakistan

Islamic Republic of Pakistan │ اِسلامی جمہوریہ پاكِستان

The Pakistani textile and garment industry, with its center in the province of Punjab, is Pakistan's most important industrial sector. It contributes about 8.5 per cent to GDP and 62 per cent of export revenues. An estimated 15 million people, about 25 per cent of the total workforce, are employed in this sector, especially in areas such as leather tanning and processing with almost 3 million of those employed in a garment factory setting. Industrial productivity is low in comparison to other countries in the region.

Demand from international buyers for sustainably produced textiles is increasing. Pakistan's textile and fashion industry is facing a major modernization process, for which sustainable production will fast become a necessity.

Population

Total

246.5 million (2023)

Gross Domestic Product

GDP per Capita (constant USD, thousand)

1,473.9 (2021)

Human Development Index Ranking

HDI Rank (out of 191 countries)

161 (2021/22)

Garment/Textile Workers

Number of workers in the garment/textile sector

15 million (2023)

Women Workers in the Garment/Textile Industry

Percentage of women workers employed in the garment/textile industry

6-8% (2023)

Number of Garment/Textile Factories

Number of factories in the garment/textile industry

10,000 (2023)

Garment/Textile Industry Exports

(USD$ billion)

USD 18.66 billion (2022)

Garment/Textile Industry Size

Percentage of total exports

60.82% (2022)

Key Garment/Textile Export Markets

Top five countries ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)

Country Percentage of Exports
United States 26.42%
United Kingdom 10.42%
Germany 8%
Netherlands 6.71%
China 5.55%

Government Entities

Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry

Economic Affairs Division
Ministry of Climate Change
Ministry of Commerce
Ministry of Industries, Labour and Commerce, Government of AJK
Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development
Ministry of Planning and Development
Pakistan Council of Research on Water Resources
Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division
Provincial Environmental Protection Agencies
Provincial Labour Department
Provincial SDGs Support Units
Provincial Youth Affairs Department
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority
Textile Industry Division, Government of Pakistan

Worker Organizations

Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations

All Pakistan Labour Federation
Home based Women Workers Federation
HomeNet Pakistan
Insaf Workers Federation

National Trade Union Federation
Pakistan Workers Federation

Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association
Pakistan Tanners Association
All Pakistan Processing Mills Association
Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association
Korangi Association of Trade and Industry

Development Agencies/ International Organizations

National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Market Development Facility (MDF) – Pakistan
Cleaner Production Institute
SMA Rizvi Textile Institute
Center for the Improvement of Working Conditions and Environment
National Textile University
University of Agriculture

Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations

Organizations working within the garment/textile industry

Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity (PRIEA), USAID Project
USAID Pakistan
Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan
Netherlands Embassy in Islamabad

Sources of data provided

  1. Population: Preliminary results of 2023 census 
  2. GDP Per Capita: GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) - Pakistan
  3. HDI: Country Insights | Human Development Reports (undp.org) 
  4. Garment / Textile Workers: GIZ Pakistan
  5. Women Workers in the Garment /Textile Industry: GIZ Pakistan
  6. Number of Garment / Textile Factories: GIZ Pakistan
  7. Garment / Textile Industry Export Market: https://www.pbs.gov.pk/trade-detail
  8. Garment / Textile Industry Size: 

    https://www.pbs.gov.pk/publication/annual-analytical-report-external-trade-statistics-pakistan-2021-22

  9. Key Garment / Textile Export Markets: https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/PAK/Year/2020/TradeFlow/Export/Partner/all/Product/50-63_TextCloth

What's going on in Pakistan?

What's going on in Pakistan?

Azizullah Goheer is the Secretary General of Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA). We talk to him about the current state of the textile sector in Pakistan and what challenges and significant changes the textile industry is facing. 

News on Pakistan


Corporate due diligence: a global-south perspective

Two Pakistani trade unionists explain in interview why the EU supply-chain directive must be unblocked.

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Reviving economy: a comprehensive strategy

The strategic location at the crossroads of South Asia and close proximity to the Gulf countries make Pakistan a promising regional market. In order to take advantage of this, Government of Pakistan recently unveiled an elaborated Economic Revival Plan to tackle the economic hardships of the country.

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RMG makers plan Tk9,000 monthly wages

The readymade garment (RMG) makers are planning to propose Tk 9,000 monthly wages for grade 7 workers to the Minimum Wages Board, despite the workers’ demand for Tk 23,000 per month.

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Igatex Pakistan 2024

2024-05-01 00:00:00+07:00 to 2024-05-04 23:59:59+07:00  UTC+07

Karachi, Pakistan