Pakistan’s Investment Paradox: We Urge Formal Investment, Yet 74% Have Never Heard of the Stock Market.

A new Gallup Pakistan survey (Dec 3, 2025) reveals a striking insight: Nearly 3 in 4 Pakistanis (74%) say they have never even heard of the stock market.
Only 26% report basic awareness.

For a country of 240 million — with an expanding middle class and rising digital access — this level of financial unawareness speaks to a deeper structural issue.

Why this matters

Without basic financial awareness, most households cannot participate in formal wealth-building.

Savings continue flowing into informal, unregulated channels.

Capital markets remain underdeveloped and dependent on a small base of participants.

The core quandary

Pakistan’s policy and public discourse often emphasise the need for “formal investments,” discouraging excessive reliance on real estate or speculative markets.

But in practice, formal investment avenues remain complex, intimidating, and poorly understood.


If Pakistan wants to shift from consumption and speculation toward productive investment, then financial literacy and easier access to formal investment options must become national priorities — not an afterthought.

Gallup Pakistan will continue to track how Pakistanis think about money, savings, and investments, and what barriers prevent broader participation.