n December 2023, the total public debt of the federal government surged by 27% compared to the same period in 2022, according to monthly data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The debt stock rose to Rs. 65.1 trillion from Rs. 51 trillion in December 2022, marking a significant increase of Rs. 14.1 trillion.
On a month-on-month basis, the federal government’s total public debt increased by 2.8% from Rs. 63.3 trillion in November 2023.
READ ALSO — IMF Declines Pakistan’s Plan to Manage Circular Debt
The data also reveals a 28.4% increase in the central government’s domestic debt, rising from Rs. 33.17 trillion in December 2022 to Rs. 42.58 trillion in December 2023.
Within the total domestic debt, long-term public debt increased from Rs. 26.9 trillion to Rs. 34 trillion, while short-term debt stock rose from Rs. 6.15 trillion to Rs. 8.37 trillion in December 2023.