In a notable indicator of Pakistan’s growing digital economy, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has disclosed that Pakistanis spent over Rs317 billion on online apps during the fiscal year 2024–25. This data was shared during a session of the National Assembly Standing Committee and highlights the expanding footprint of international and local digital platforms among Pakistani consumers.
The FBR report reveals that global tech giants such as Meta, Apple, Google, and Netflix have seen billions of rupees in transaction volumes from Pakistan. Social media powerhouse Facebook/Meta alone registered Rs12.3 billion across approximately 1.86 million transactions. Interestingly, Apple/iTunes recorded the highest number of transactions—exceeding 5.1 million—amounting to nearly Rs6 billion in digital purchases.
Google followed with Rs5.94 billion across 2.3 million transactions, while popular online marketplace AliExpress processed nearly Rs5 billion through over 944,000 transactions. Streaming service Netflix, despite increasing global subscription rates, recorded 3.37 million transactions valued at Rs2.79 billion. Emerging platforms such as Temu, a newcomer to Pakistan’s digital commerce landscape, made a significant entry with Rs1.8 billion in transactions across 376,000 deals.
Another major observation was the overwhelming Rs281 billion in spending categorized under “Others,” which accounted for 28.6 million transactions. This figure points to a wide range of smaller platforms or potentially aggregated vendor data that remain unnamed in official documents. The magnitude of this segment indicates the breadth of Pakistan’s online consumption habits, spanning digital entertainment, services, e-commerce, and software.
In response to this accelerating digital expenditure, the federal government has introduced the “Digital Presence” Proceeds Levy Act, 2025. This new law imposes a 5 percent tax on revenues generated by foreign and local digital vendors operating in Pakistan. The tax applies to both goods and services ordered digitally by Pakistani consumers. Among those impacted are global platforms like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Temu, as well as local e-commerce businesses such as Daraz and Pak Wheels.
This legislation aims to formalize and regulate the growing digital commerce sector and ensure that companies benefiting from Pakistani users also contribute to the national revenue. The move reflects a global trend where governments are seeking to tax digital services proportionate to their local economic impact.
Industry watchers believe this is just the beginning of broader regulatory oversight over Pakistan’s digital economy. With more than 42 million digital transactions recorded from various platforms in a single fiscal year, the momentum toward a fully digitized commercial ecosystem is undeniable.
As the Digital Presence Levy Act takes effect, industry leaders will be watching closely to assess its long-term impact on both consumer behavior and the operations of international platforms in the Pakistani market. It is also expected to boost domestic regulatory efforts by bodies like the SECP and FBR to better monitor and monetize Pakistan’s expanding online economy.
