Pakistan is facing a decline in energy production as domestic output falls and reliance on imports grows. The latest figures show that supply is struggling to keep up with rising demand, raising fresh questions about long-term energy security.
Indigenous energy production dropped from 53 MTOE to 50 MTOE. At the same time, imports rose from 33 MTOE to 34 MTOE, indicating a greater reliance on external sources. Total primary energy supply increased only slightly by 1.58% to 82 MTOE. This rise mainly came from higher imports of LPG, oil, coal and electricity.
The data shows strong growth in LPG imports, imported electricity, oil and coal. However, natural gas, LNG, nuclear energy and renewables all declined, pointing to tighter domestic availability. Final energy consumption rose 8.32%. Commercial, industrial, transport, and government use all increased sharply, while agricultural use fell and domestic consumption declined slightly.
Crude oil production dropped 11.44%, while gas output fell 7.52%. This decline to ageing fields and limited drilling activity, with only 28 exploratory wells and 30 development wells completed. At the same time, 21 new gas and gas-condensate fields were added, and gas reserves rose 26% to 23.31 TCF. Even so, production did not increase, highlighting limits in extraction capacity.
Proven oil reserves also fell by 1.39% to 240 million barrels. As a result, Pakistan relied more heavily on imported crude oil and refined petroleum products. Gas imports of 8.74 MTOE were used to fill supply gaps. Still, overall gas consumption fell 5.77%, even as industrial gas use jumped 62.5%.
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This suggests a shift in supply priorities toward higher-value sectors. Meanwhile, coal imports surged 27.86% as domestic coal output slipped, with more than half of the imported coal used for power generation. The power sector showed only gradual progress. Installed capacity edged up to 45,380 MW, supported by 884 MW of new hydropower.
Electricity generation rose 3.04% to 140,420 GWh, mainly from thermal sources. Imports of electricity also increased by 20.1%, while renewable energy remained largely stagnant. Power consumption increased in domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. However, agricultural electricity use fell sharply, pointing to uneven distribution across the economy.
Overall, the figures show a fragile energy transition. Pakistan is dealing with rising demand, falling domestic supply and a growing import bill. The widening gap between the country’s growing gas reserves and its ability to extract them. That mismatch, along with weak renewable growth, could create more pressure in the years ahead.
