Pakistan’s total liquid foreign exchange reserves decline to $22.44 billion as central bank reserves drop during the week ended July 24.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) declined by $229 million during the week ended July 24, 2026, mainly due to external debt repayments, according to data released by the central bank on Thursday.

The SBP said its foreign exchange reserves fell to $17.03 billion, compared with $17.26 billion a week earlier, registering a 1.3% weekly decline.

According to the weekly reserves statement, the country’s total liquid foreign exchange reserves stood at $22.44 billion as of July 24, 2026, down from $22.67 billion in the previous week.

The latest figures show that commercial banks held $5.41 billion in net foreign exchange reserves, almost unchanged from the previous week’s level.

“During the week ended on 24-Jul-2026, SBP’s FX reserves decreased by US$229 million to US$17,029.9 million. The decline in SBP’s FX reserves is due to external debt repayments,” the central bank said in its statement.

According to the data, Pakistan’s total foreign exchange reserves declined by $227 million, or 1.0%, on a weekly basis.

Despite the weekly decline, the country’s reserve position remains stronger than at the end of December 2025. Since the beginning of calendar year 2026, total liquid foreign exchange reserves have increased by approximately $1.43 billion, while SBP-held reserves have risen by around $1.12 billion.

The latest data also indicates that Pakistan’s import cover eased slightly to 3.0 months, compared with 3.04 months in the previous week.

The reserves position continues to be closely monitored by investors and policymakers as Pakistan manages external financing requirements and debt repayments while seeking to maintain adequate foreign exchange buffers.