News

ATM use on the rise in Pakistan

April 17, 2014

The ATM's share in e-banking transactions in Pakistan has grown to 6.3 percent in volume and 7.6 percent in value over the last quarter of 2013, according to a payment system review by the State Bank of Pakistan.

ATMs carried out more than 61.7 million transactions from October through December 2013, the review said. The number of ATMs in the country has reached 7,684 for the quarter ended December 2013, a year-over-year increase of 10.2 percent.

As of Dec. 31, Pakistan could claim 4.2 ATMs for every 100,000 people*. The total number of debit, credit and ATM-only cards reached 22.38 million, a decline of 4.2 percent compared with Q4 of the previous year.

Credit cards dropped 11.4 percent compared with the previous year. Debit cards boast the highest share of plastic cards in Pakistan at 89.6 percent.

The fastest-growing banking channel in Pakistan is mobile, which increased more than 170 percent year-over-year. 

*By contrast, the U.S. has 33.3 ATMs for every 100,000 people or 1 ATM per 3,000 people.