SBP reports marginal dip in bank deposits

In January 2024, the total deposits held by scheduled banks in Pakistan experienced a robust year-on-year growth of 21.03 per cent, reaching Rs27.54 trillion.

This marks a substantial increase from Rs22.75 trillion recorded in January 2023, as revealed by data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

However, on a month-on-month basis, there was a slight dip of 1.08 per cent in bank deposits compared to December 2024, where the total stood at Rs27.84 trillion.

The data further highlights a positive trend in total advances, which saw a year-on-year increase of 3.74 per cent, reaching Rs12.09 trillion compared to Rs11.66 trillion in the same period last year.

 Conversely, on a monthly basis, advances experienced a marginal decline of 2.08 per cent from their December 2024 value of Rs12.35 trillion.

The Advances to Deposit Ratio (ADR) exhibited a decrease, standing at 43.92 per cent, indicating a 732 basis points decline on a yearly basis and a 45 basis points decrease on a monthly basis.

In terms of investments, scheduled banks in Pakistan reported total investments of Rs25.6 trillion in January 2024, reflecting a substantial year-on-year increase of 32.71 per cent from Rs19.29 trillion in January 2023.

Additionally, there was a month-on-month increase of 1.28 per cent from the Rs25.28 trillion recorded in December 2024.

The Investment to Deposit Ratio (IDR) witnessed a notable rise of 818 basis points, reaching 92.97 per cent, compared to the figures from January 2023. On a monthly basis, IDR increased by 216 basis points.

These statistics indicate a significant positive shift in the financial landscape of Pakistan’s banking sector, with notable expansions in both deposits and investments.