United States and Pakistan
Security cooperation has important precedents, but its instruments are not equivalent to a NATO defense alliance. Goods, services, business activity and education connect both countries. Economic data allow that dimension to be examined without reducing it to security debates.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07The meaning of non-NATO ally status
US documentation records Pakistan's designation as a Major Non-NATO Ally in June 2004.
Security and long-term relationship
The 2006 profile places security cooperation, official contacts and other areas within the relationship.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 8,545.7 M USD | 2025 · Census |
| Goods: United States to Pakistan | 3,127.3 M USD | 2025 · Census |
| Goods: Pakistan to United States | 5,418.4 M USD | 2025 · Census |
| Services trade | 2,900 M USDUSTR est. | 2025 · USTR |
| Export share: United States to Pakistan | 0.14 % | 2025 · Census |
| Export share: Pakistan to United States | ||
| Investment stock: United States in Pakistan | -64 M USDBEA est. | 2025 · BEA |
| Investment stock: Pakistan in United States | -31 M USDBEA est. | 2025 · BEA |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods, January–December 2025, United States reporter. Not services or affiliate production.
- Goods: United States to Pakistan
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods, January–December 2025, United States reporter. Not services or affiliate production.
- Goods: Pakistan to United States
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods, January–December 2025, United States reporter. Not services or affiliate production.
- Services trade
- 2025 · USTR · USTR estimate of services trade; not goods. Published total, not recalculated from rounded components.
- Export share: United States to Pakistan
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Census Bureau (other direction) · US goods exports to the partner / US goods exports to the world; same year and reporter.
- Investment stock: United States in Pakistan
- 2025 · BEA · Direct investment position at historical cost; immediate counterparty. Not portfolio investment or announced commitments. Published negative values are retained.
- Investment stock: Pakistan in United States
- 2025 · BEA · Direct investment position at historical cost; immediate counterparty. Not portfolio investment or announced commitments. Published negative values are retained.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Year-on-year inflation: different periods or frequencies; the two figures are not directly comparable.
| Indicator | United States | Pakistan |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 30.77 trillion USD2025 · WB | 407.31 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 90,026.52 USD2025 · WB | 1,595.91 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 2.16 %2025 · WB | 3.7 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 3.75–4 %2026-09-16 · Fed | 11.5 %2026-09-14 · SBP |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.7 %IMF est.Annual average · 2025 · IMF | 3.55 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3.4 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · BLS | 10.3 %Year-on-year · Sept. 2026 · PBS |
| Unemployment | 4.2 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 5.42 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -6.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -5.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 123.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 72.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -3.63 %2025 · WB | -0.11 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 341,784,8572025 · WB | 255,219,5542025 · WB |
| Area | 9,831,510 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 796,100 km²2023 · BM / FAO |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDUnited States: 2025 · World BankPakistan: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personUnited States: 2025 · World BankPakistan: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)United States: 2025 · World BankPakistan: 2025 · World Bank
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)United States: 2026-09-16 · Federal funds target range · Federal ReservePakistan: 2026-09-14 · State Bank of Pakistan policy rate · State Bank of Pakistan
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)United States: 2025 · Average annual change in headline CPI (%) · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est. · WEO estimate; not the year-on-year change for December or August 2026. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07Pakistan: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedUnited States: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Published: 2026-09-11 · Headline year-on-year CPI-U, not seasonally adjusted; not monthly or core inflation.Pakistan: 2026-09 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Pakistan Bureau of Statistics · Published: 2026-10-01 · National headline CPI published rounded to one decimal place; not the quarterly average, Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) or Wholesale Price Index (WPI).
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionUnited States: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Pakistan: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)United States: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Pakistan: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)United States: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Pakistan: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPUnited States: 2025 · World BankPakistan: 2025 · World Bank
- Population
- PeopleUnited States: 2025 · World BankPakistan: 2025 · World Bank
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceUnited States: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOPakistan: 2023 · Total area, including inland waters; source's territorial coverage · World Bank · FAO
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
United States to Pakistan
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 299.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 214.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 39.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 9.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 3.4 M USD2025 · Source |
Pakistan to United States
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | United States to Pakistan | Pakistan to United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,898.9 | 3,617.2 | 5,281.7 |
| 2022 | 9,141.1 | 3,147.4 | 5,993.7 |
| 2023 | 6,925.3 | 2,040.5 | 4,884.8 |
| 2024 | 7,225.7 | 2,107.8 | 5,117.9 |
| 2025 | 8,545.7 | 3,127.3 | 5,418.4 |
Connections between people
Education and travel have their own volume and definition; they are not equated with military cooperation, issued visas or emigrant populations. [2]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from United States living in Pakistan | ||
| Residents from Pakistan living in United States | ||
| Study and training: United States in Pakistan | ||
| Study and training: Pakistan in United StatesStudy and OPT training in the United States | 13,165 | 2024/25 · IIE / Open Doors |
| Academic stays: United States in PakistanU.S. study-abroad stays carrying academic credit | 6 | 2023/24 · IIE / Open Doors |
| Academic stays: Pakistan in United States | ||
| Travel: United States to Pakistan | ||
| Travel: Pakistan to United StatesCountry of residence; international arrivals in the United States | 127,979arrivals | 2025 · NTTO |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
- Study and training: Pakistan in United States
- Open Doors: students by place of origin, including OPT practical training. Not visas or residents. 2024/25 · IIE / Open Doors
- Academic stays: United States in Pakistan
- Mobility for academic credit reported by US institutions. Not the total number of residents or enrolment on a particular date. 2023/24 · IIE / Open Doors
- Travel: Pakistan to United States
- Arrivals by country of residence; not nationality, unique travellers or permanent residence. NTTO series coverage. 2025 · NTTO
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
The meaning of non-NATO ally status
US documentation records Pakistan's designation as a Major Non-NATO Ally in June 2004. That status confers certain military and financial advantages, according to the historical profile. It does not make Pakistan a NATO member or automatically establish the same obligations as its collective defense treaty. The document is used as a dated precedent. [1]
Security and long-term relationship
The 2006 profile places security cooperation, official contacts and other areas within the relationship. Its context corresponds to that period and is not a review of all current activity. It helps explain the origin of instruments and priorities, while subsequent decisions and operations require their own dates and sources. Cooperation between governments is distinguished from educational and business connections. [1]
Two different economic components
USTR estimates 2,900 million dollars in services in 2025 and also publishes trade in goods. Its data show that goods and services exports and imports can have different balances. An economic relationship is not correctly summarized through only one of those components. BEA positions add accumulated direct capital, which is not added to the annual trade flow. [2]
The scale of the two economies
The United States recorded nominal GDP of USD 30,769.7 billion in 2025, compared with 407.3 in 2025 for Pakistan. The reference populations were 341.78 million (2025) and 255.22 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, the United States' nominal GDP was 75.54 times Pakistan's. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Trade in 2025
The USTR profile places the 2025 goods and services aggregate above that of 2024. The Census series observes goods with a consistent reporting country over five years. Academic contacts are presented with the corresponding academic years. These observations provide concrete information on economic and civilian activity without assuming every trade variation measures a change in military cooperation. [2]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between the United States and Pakistan totaled 8545.7 million USD. US shipments to Pakistan were USD 3127.3 million; shipments in the opposite direction were USD 5418.4 million. US shipments to the partner represented 0.14% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [3]
Cross-border services
USTR estimates 2900 million USD in services trade in 2025. It is the total published by the source, not a reconstruction from rounded components. Financial and professional services and activities involving travel have coverage different from goods. Its value does not represent a traveler count or all local business by companies established in the partner country. [2]
Recorded direct investment capital, not announced investment
The US direct investment position in Pakistan was USD -64 million in 2025. Pakistan's direct investment position in the United States was -31 million USD in 2025. BEA uses historical cost and the immediate counterpart. The figure is capital recorded at period-end, not a purchase or promise made during the year. It may reflect subsidiary structures and financing; published negative values are not replaced with zero. It does not include all portfolio investment or allow each project to be valued individually. [4] [5]
Human connections with their own figures
In 2025, the source recorded 127,979 arrivals from Pakistan to the United States, with the coverage indicated in the table. [8]
In 2024/25, the source recorded 13,165 students and OPT internship participants from Pakistan in the United States. [9]
In 2023/24, 6 stays for academic credit were recorded from the United States to Pakistan. [9]
The counts describe different populations and periods: they are not added as a total of unique people. Open Doors includes OPT practical training; US study stays require academic credit. Arrivals by country of residence do not equate to nationality or permanent residence. The academic year retains its coverage and is not relabelled as a calendar year. [8] [9]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Long-Term Strategic Partners
Department of State, 2001–2009 archive · Institutional source · Document: 2006 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Trade with Pakistan
USTR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- TOTAL rows 2021–2025; US reporter; goods; million USD
U.S. Census Bureau · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Position; country row; G=2025; million USD; historical cost; immediate counterparty
BEA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Position; country row; G=2025; million USD; historical cost; immediate counterparty
BEA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- Annual; country-of-residence row; AC=2025; arrivals, not unique people
NTTO · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- International Student Totals: 2024/25 incl OPT; US study abroad 2023/24. Not visa issuance.
IIE / Open Doors · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 842; partners 804,616,380,528,752,579,208,792,818,784,634,400,586,360,704,608,764,702,554,710,566,404,170,152,32; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / USA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 842; partners 804,616,380,528,752,579,208,792,818,784,634,400,586,360,704,608,764,702,554,710,566,404,170,152,32; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / USA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 842; partners 804,616,380,528,752,579,208,792,818,784,634,400,586,360,704,608,764,702,554,710,566,404,170,152,32; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / USA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 842; partners 804,616,380,528,752,579,208,792,818,784,634,400,586,360,704,608,764,702,554,710,566,404,170,152,32; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / USA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 842; partners 804,616,380,528,752,579,208,792,818,784,634,400,586,360,704,608,764,702,554,710,566,404,170,152,32; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / USA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / USA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 842; partners 804,616,380,528,752,579,208,792,818,784,634,400,586,360,704,608,764,702,554,710,566,404,170,152,32; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / USA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 842; partners 804,616,380,528,752,579,208,792,818,784,634,400,586,360,704,608,764,702,554,710,566,404,170,152,32; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / USA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 842; partners 804,616,380,528,752,579,208,792,818,784,634,400,586,360,704,608,764,702,554,710,566,404,170,152,32; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / USA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 842; partners 804,616,380,528,752,579,208,792,818,784,634,400,586,360,704,608,764,702,554,710,566,404,170,152,32; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / USA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 842; partners 804,616,380,528,752,579,208,792,818,784,634,400,586,360,704,608,764,702,554,710,566,404,170,152,32; X/M; annual goods.