SBP reserves see strong weekly gain on external inflows, bonds

Karachi: Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) increased by USD 1.214 billion on a weekly basis, reaching USD 17.081 billion as of May 15, 2026, according to data released by the central bank on Thursday.

The SBP said the increase was mainly driven by inflows from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), along with proceeds from the issuance of Panda Bonds. Some external debt repayments were also recorded during the week.

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Overall, the country’s total liquid foreign exchange reserves stood at USD 22.588 billion during the week under review.

Of the total, net foreign reserves held by commercial banks were reported at USD 5.507 billion.

The central bank stated that the rise in SBP reserves reflects continued external inflows despite ongoing debt servicing obligations.