Despite IMF scrutiny, Pakistan boosts defence spend by 16%

New Delhi: Pakistan has increased its defence budget by a sharp 16.4%, even as it seeks a bailout deal from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to avert a complete collapse of its economy. The increase in military spending was announced on Wednesday in the annual budget, which also hiked government salaries by 25%.

Despite its dire economic state, Pakistan has been steadily spending money on its armed forces which are heavily dependent on imports, with China emerging as its biggest partner in recent years. The latest allocation of $7.37 billion for the fiscal year 2024-25 marks a significant increase from the previous year's $6.33 billion, an uptick of 16.4%.

In contrast, the interim Indian defence budget this year was $75.2 billion, which is a 4.7% hike from last year. China is the biggest military spender in the region, with its declared defence budget pegged at $232 billion this financial year.


Pakistan is the world's fifth-largest arms importer, with SIPRI data pointing out that 82% of its arms imports came from China in 2019-2023. In the 2009-2013 period, only about 51% of its arms came from China, with the rest being supplied by the western world, with the US being a major contributor with the sale of weapons like artillery systems and F16 fighter aircraft.

In the past eight years, Pakistan's military budget has more than doubled, with a majority of its major arms like fighter aircraft, frigates, submarines and UAVs coming from China. According to international arms tracker SIPRI, 61% of all Chinese arms exports from 2019-2023 have gone to Pakistan.

Pakistan has been converting rapidly to Chinese-origin platforms over the past decade. Major sales include Type 54A frigates, SH 15 155 mm artillery guns, Wing Loong 1 unmanned combat aerial vehicles, WZ 10 attack helicopters and JF 17 fighter jets.