In 2024, Pakistan earned a distinction in internet shutdowns, ranking second in the world. With 1,861 hours of disruptions, only Myanmar surpassed Pakistan in this troubling metric. These shutdowns were not only problematic during everyday life, but also impacted Pakistan’s digital economy. While the global demand for the Internet is growing, Pakistan seems to be ageing backwards. The frequent blackouts suggest a critical issue that requires urgent attention.
A Major Setback for Pakistan’s Digital Economy
The Top10VPN report revealed that Pakistan’s internet shutdowns cost the economy an estimated $351 million in 2024. The disruptions caused by the blackouts affected nearly 83 million users. These numbers account for over 40% of the top 15 most vulnerable nations. What’s even more concerning is the duration of these shutdowns. They rapidly increased by a horrifying 619% from 259 hours in 2023. These statistics pushed Pakistan from seventh to second place globally.
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Each hour of these shutdowns cost Pakistan a rough $1 million, according to the Pakistan Software House Association (P@SHA). This is a staggering number for an economy that is already victim to increasing inflation and numerous other crises. The information and communication technology (ICT) sector, brought in $3.3 billion in 2024, trailing only textiles and food. They are a key contributor to Pakistan’s economy. However, these disruptions raised operational costs for tech companies and discouraged them from bringing in additional foreign exchange.
The industry has also estimated that undocumented exports are nearly the same as the documented figures. This suggests that while the government works on improving exports, the frequent shutdowns are causing unmeasurable losses.
Declining Internet Access and Quality
Internet usage in Pakistan has also seen a steady decline. Sources suggest that the web traffic in the country dropped throughout most of 2024, with only 30 days in the first 11 months showing positive growth. Unfortunately, this contrasts sharply with the global average of 17% growth.
Adding to the problem, Pakistan’s internet speed remains extremely slow. The average download speed in Pakistan stands at 22MBps. This is far behind regional peers like the Philippines (97MBps), Bangladesh (37MBps), and Indonesia (31MBps). This poor quality of the internet further disadvantages the tech sector.
These increasing rates of internet shutdowns position Pakistan as the second-highest country in the category. The internet disruptions not only cost the economy millions but also remove confidence in the country. It gives the impression that services are unreliable. As a nation with significant potential in the IT sector, this issue needs to be addressed. If not, Pakistan risks falling behind in the global digital race.