THE WORLD, CONNECTEDGeopolitical Relationship Atlas
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP

Russia and Pakistan

Counterterrorism dialogue provides a specific channel of cooperation. Pakistan and Russia address regional issues and also work in multilateral forums. That dialogue does not constitute a general military alliance or by itself explain their economic exchanges.

Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07

A bilateral group with successive meetings

The twelfth round of the counterterrorism working group was held in Islamabad on 23 June 2026.

Afghanistan and cross-border threats

Pakistan emphasised the need for verifiable action by the relevant authorities in Afghanistan against groups that might use its territory.

The June 2026 meeting

The round documents working issues and a willingness to expand contacts, not complete operational results.

Bilateral indicators

Blank cells: data unavailable.

Indicators of the relationship between Russia and Pakistan
IndicatorValuePeriod
Goods trade215.1 M USD2025 · UN Comtrade / PAK
Goods: Russia to Pakistan149.12 M USD2025 · UN Comtrade / PAK
Goods: Pakistan to Russia65.98 M USD2025 · UN Comtrade / PAK
Services trade
Export share: Russia to Pakistan
Export share: Pakistan to Russia0.21 %2025 · UN Comtrade / PAK
Investment stock: Russia in Pakistan
Investment stock: Pakistan in Russia
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 · UN Comtrade / PAK · Goods; full year; PAK reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
Goods: Russia to Pakistan
2025 · UN Comtrade / PAK · Goods; full year; PAK reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
Goods: Pakistan to Russia
2025 · UN Comtrade / PAK · Goods; full year; PAK reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
Export share: Pakistan to Russia
2025 · UN Comtrade / PAK · Goods share: PAK exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.

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.

Economic and demographic comparison of Russia and Pakistan
IndicatorRussiaPakistan
Nominal GDP2.59 trillion USDIMF est.2025 · IMF407.31 billion USD2025 · WB
GDP per capita17,972.12 USDIMF est.2025 · IMF1,595.91 USD2025 · WB
GDP growth1 %2025 · WB3.7 %2025 · WB
Policy interest rate14 %2026-09-11 · CBR11.5 %2026-09-14 · SBP
Inflation · annual average8.72 %Annual average · 2025 · WB3.55 %Annual average · 2025 · WB
Inflation · latest year-on-year figure6.33 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · CBR10.3 %Year-on-year · Sept. 2026 · PBS
Unemployment2.13 %ILO est.2025 · WB5.42 %ILO est.2025 · WB
Budget balance (% of GDP)-3.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF-5.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF
Gross public debt (% of GDP)17.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF72.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF
Current account balance (% of GDP)1.68 %2025 · WB-0.11 %2025 · WB
Population143,997,000IMF est.2025 · IMF255,219,5542025 · WB
Area17,125,190 km²2023 · BM / FAO796,100 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.

For Russia, GDP, population and GDP per capita are estimates from the same IMF (WEO) dataset for 2025. The per-capita figure published by the IMF is used, rather than a calculation of our own. The earlier World Bank series could not be reconciled and are not mixed with this dataset. Review: 2026-10-07. IMF data terms of use0

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 USDRussia: 2025 · Nominal GDP in current USD · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est. · IMF estimate (WEO). GDP, GDP per capita and population for this country come from the same WEO query for 2025; no separate GDP-per-capita figure has been calculated.Pakistan: 2025 · World Bank
GDP per capita
Current USD per personRussia: 2025 · Nominal GDP per capita in current USD · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est. · IMF estimate (WEO). GDP, GDP per capita and population for this country come from the same WEO query for 2025; no separate GDP-per-capita figure has been calculated.Pakistan: 2025 · World Bank
GDP growth
Annual real change (%)Russia: 2025 · World BankPakistan: 2025 · World Bank
Policy interest rate
Central bank instrument (%)Russia: 2026-09-11 · Bank of Russia policy rate · Bank of RussiaPakistan: 2026-09-14 · State Bank of Pakistan policy rate · State Bank of Pakistan
Inflation · annual average
Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Russia: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World BankPakistan: 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 statedRussia: 2026-08 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Bank of Russia · Published: 2026-09-16 · Year-on-year CPI. The commentary's 6.9% is annualised seasonally adjusted monthly growth and is not used here.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 institutionRussia: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Pakistan: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.
Budget balance
General government (% of GDP)Russia: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Pakistan: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
Gross public debt
General government (% of GDP)Russia: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Pakistan: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
Current account balance
% of GDPRussia: 2025 · World BankPakistan: 2025 · World Bank
Population
PeopleRussia: 2025 · Population from the WEO series; do not mix with a denominator from another source · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est. · IMF estimate (WEO). GDP, GDP per capita and population for this country come from the same WEO query for 2025; no separate GDP-per-capita figure has been calculated.Pakistan: 2025 · World Bank
Area
Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceRussia: 2023 · Total area, including inland waters; territorial coverage as defined by 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.

Russia to Pakistan

2025

Selected products exported from Russia to Pakistan
Product or sectorValue / share
Pharmaceutical products3.3 M USD2025 · Source
Machinery and mechanical appliances0.1 M USD2025 · Source
Mineral fuels and oils0 M USD2025 · Source
Electrical and electronic equipment0 M USD2025 · Source

Common selection: fuels, pharmaceuticals, machinery, electronics and vehicles. Not an exhaustive ranking or a claim that these are the leading products. Comtrade: indicated reporter, with possible differences from another customs publication. UN Comtrade / PAK

Pakistan to Russia

2025

Selected products exported from Pakistan to Russia
Product or sectorValue / share
Machinery and mechanical appliances0 M USD2025 · Source

Common selection: fuels, pharmaceuticals, machinery, electronics and vehicles. Not an exhaustive ranking or a claim that these are the leading products. Comtrade: indicated reporter, with possible differences from another customs publication. UN Comtrade / PAK

Connections between people

Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]

Residents, study and travel

Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.

Indicators of human connections between Russia and Pakistan
IndicatorValuePeriod / source
Residents from Russia living in Pakistan
Residents from Pakistan living in Russia
Study and training: Russia in Pakistan
Study and training: Pakistan in Russia
Academic stays: Russia in Pakistan
Academic stays: Pakistan in Russia
Travel: Russia to Pakistan
Travel: Pakistan to Russia
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.

Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.

Underlying ties

History, institutions and long-standing issues.

A bilateral group with successive meetings

The twelfth round of the counterterrorism working group was held in Islamabad on 23 June 2026. Its numbering documents institutional continuity, not a single isolated discussion. The mechanism addresses threats and cooperation between authorities. It does not allow the existence of bases, military guarantees or joint operations not described in the statement to be inferred. [1]

Afghanistan and cross-border threats

Pakistan emphasised the need for verifiable action by the relevant authorities in Afghanistan against groups that might use its territory. The concern is attributed to the Pakistani Government. That statement is not independent verification of every organisation or activity. The regional agenda helps explain why Russia–Pakistan dialogue does not depend solely on the volume of goods traded. [1]

United Nations and Shanghai Organisation

The statement identifies opportunities to deepen coordination at the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. These spaces have more participants and are distinct from the bilateral group. Counterterrorism cooperation, diplomacy and trade may develop through separate mechanisms. Membership of a forum does not make all its projects exclusive agreements between Russia and Pakistan or create identical obligations in every area. [1]

The scale of the two economies

Russia recorded nominal GDP of 2,587.9 billion USD in 2025, compared with 407.3 in 2025 for Pakistan. The reference populations were 144 million (2025) and 255.22 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, Russia's nominal GDP was 6.35 times Pakistan's. These figures contextualise market size; they do not by themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or population extrapolations retain their labels in the table. No ratio is calculated when periods do not match. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Recent developments

Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07

The June 2026 meeting

The round documents working issues and a willingness to expand contacts, not complete operational results. The customs table adds 2025 trade from the Pakistani reporter, preceding that meeting. Its flows are not used to estimate the success of security measures. The relationship is presented through institutions, regional issues and economic activity with their own dates. [1]

Observed economic exchange

In 2025, recorded goods trade between Russia and Pakistan totalled 215.1 million USD. Shipments from Russia to Pakistan were 149.1 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 66 million USD. Pakistan's shipments to the partner represented 0.21% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs reporting source is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or affiliates' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [2]

Milestones and consequences

  1. 2026-06

    Multilateral agenda

    Regional and forum coordination included in the statement. [1]

  2. 2026-06-23

    Twelfth round

    Bilateral counterterrorism group in Islamabad. [1]

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.

  1. Bilateral counterterrorism group

    Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan · Institutional source · Document: 2026-06-23 · Accessed: 2026-10-07

  2. Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 586; partners 0,643

    UN Comtrade / PAK · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07

  3. Official statistics

    IMF — World Economic Outlook · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07

  4. Official statistics

    World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17

  5. Official statistics

    IMF — World Economic Outlook · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07

  6. Official statistics

    World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06

  7. HS2 27; 2025; reporter 586; partners 643; X/M; annual goods

    UN Comtrade / PAK · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07

  8. HS2 30; 2025; reporter 586; partners 643; X/M; annual goods

    UN Comtrade / PAK · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07

  9. HS2 84; 2025; reporter 586; partners 643; X/M; annual goods

    UN Comtrade / PAK · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07

  10. HS2 85; 2025; reporter 586; partners 643; X/M; annual goods

    UN Comtrade / PAK · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07

Additional sources on products and human connections
  • UN Comtrade / PAK

    2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 586; partners 643; X/M; annual goods.

  • UN Comtrade / PAK

    2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 586; partners 643; X/M; annual goods.

  • UN Comtrade / PAK

    2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 586; partners 643; X/M; annual goods.

  • UN Comtrade / PAK

    2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 586; partners 643; X/M; annual goods.