Pakistan’s capital market recorded its strongest year for investor growth, with more than 190,000 new investors entering the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), lifting the total number of investors to over 583,000, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

The regulator said the investor base expanded by a record 48 percent over the past year, reflecting growing participation in the country’s equity market.

Young investors accounted for the largest share of new registrations. Around 45 percent of new investors were between 18 and 30 years of age, while 41 percent belonged to the 31-45 age group.

Among major cities, Karachi generated 25 percent of newly opened investor accounts, followed by Lahore with 16 percent. Islamabad and Rawalpindi together contributed another 13 percent.

SECP credited the increase to a series of reforms aimed at making investing easier. These included raising the investment limit for the Sahulat Account from Rs. 1 million to Rs. 3 million, simplifying account opening through banks and digital channels, and introducing facilities such as IBAN verification and minor trading accounts.

SECP Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said encouraging young people to participate in the capital market remains the regulator’s top priority. He added that SECP is also preparing to launch a digital onboarding mobile application to further simplify the investment process.

According to the chairman, deeper participation in capital markets can help convert household savings into productive investments, supporting economic growth while making investing faster, easier, and more accessible for all Pakistanis.