By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan received $5.17 billion in foreign loans and grants from July 2025 through January 2026, a 12.77% increase from $4.58 billion in the same period a year earlier, data from the Economic Affairs Division showed.
The figures, released Wednesday by the EAD, underscore a steady pickup in multilateral and bilateral flows even as monthly disbursements slowed sharply at the turn of the year. Total assistance in January alone came to $626 million, less than half the $1.47 billion recorded in December.
Bilateral loans and grants to Pakistan in January totaled $104.11 million, almost entirely driven by a $100 million loan from Saudi Arabia. Multilateral inflows for the month stood at $133.33 million, led by the Asian Development Bank with $56 million, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development at $30.59 million, the International Development Association with $28.69 million and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank contributing $13.78 million.
For the full July-January period, bilateral assistance reached $931.88 million, split between $33.24 million in grants and $898.64 million in loans. Multilateral support came to $2.127 billion, of which $33.97 million were grants and $2.092 billion loans.
Grants from bilateral partners were led by Japan at $15.33 million, followed by China with $10.57 million, Saudi Arabia at $3.31 million, and Germany at $2.79 million. On the loan side, Saudi Arabia remained the dominant bilateral lender with $708.70 million. China provided $72.28 million in direct loans plus another $72.28 million in guaranteed facilities, while Denmark extended $71.15 million, France $26.73 million and smaller amounts from other sources.
Multilateral grants totaled $33.97 million, with the IBRD accounting for $18.96 million, the IDA $9.86 million, the International Fund for Agricultural Development $2.72 million and the Asian Development Bank $2.41 million.
Loans from multilateral institutions reached $2.092 billion. The ADB led with $622.18 million, followed by the IDA at $598.22 million. The Islamic Development Bank extended a short-term facility of $483.78 million and another $56.13 million, while the IBRD provided $240.01 million and IFAD $18.67 million. Pakistan also drew $144.42 million from Standard Chartered Bank in London and $209.51 million from the International Monetary Fund during the period.
Separately, disbursements under the Naya Pakistan Certificates program totaled $1.488 billion in the seven months, with the Islamic variant accounting for $1.082 billion and the conventional tranche $405.64 million. The IMF’s lending under the Extended Fund Facility is not captured in EAD or Ministry of Finance accounts because it is treated as balance-of-payments support and booked directly on the State Bank of Pakistan’s balance sheet.
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