Deposits held by Pakistani banks increased 16 percent year-on-year to Rs. 40.8 trillion in September 2026, compared with Rs. 35.2 trillion in the same month last year, according to State Bank of Pakistan data compiled by Arif Habib Limited.

On a month-on-month basis, deposits rose 4 percent from Rs. 39.2 trillion in August, adding approximately Rs. 1.6 trillion in a single month.

The increase follows a steady rise in banking deposits, which had approached Rs. 40 trillion earlier this month.

Bank Lending Rises Faster in September

Bank advances grew 14.3 percent year-on-year to Rs. 15.4 trillion in September, up from Rs. 13.5 trillion a year earlier.

On a monthly basis, lending increased 6 percent from Rs. 14.5 trillion in August, outpacing deposit growth during the month.

The advances-to-deposits ratio (ADR), which measures the share of deposits used for lending, rose to 37.7 percent in September from 37 percent in August. However, it remained below the 38.2 percent recorded in September 2025.

Bank Investments Fall From August

Banks’ investments increased 12.1 percent year-on-year to Rs. 40.1 trillion in September. However, the total declined 2.5 percent from Rs. 41.2 trillion in August.

The investment-to-deposits ratio (IDR) fell to 98.3 percent, down 342 basis points from a year earlier and 664 basis points from the previous month.

In September 2025, bank deposits had increased 12.3 percent year-on-year to Rs. 35.2 trillion.