Rs 100+ Billion Withdrawn in Cash From Bank Branches Every Working Day in Pakistan

We often frame Pakistan’s financial future as digital.

But the present is still overwhelmingly physical. Cash is not disappearing — it is persisting at scale

From bank branch data on cash withdrawals:

~Rs 7–8 trillion withdrawn every quarter
≈ Rs 2.3–2.7 trillion per month

Adjust for a 5-day banking week:

👉 ~Rs 100–130 billion withdrawn in cash from bank branches every working day

⏱️ Breaking it down further:
~Rs 4–5 billion every hour
~Rs 70–90 million every minute

Implication :

Every day, banks are handing out over Rs 100 billion in physical cash

Where is this cash going?

Likely into:

Retail and wholesale markets
Informal and semi-formal businesses
Daily wage and cash-based transactions

A subtle shift, but not a collapse:

Volumes are broadly stable
Recent dip is modest, not structural

Cash is not disappearing — it is persisting at scale