Pakistan’s Budget Transparency Improves 50% in Two Years
Pakistan’s budget transparency has improved significantly, rising 50% in just two years. According to the International Budget Partnership (IBP)’s Open Budget Survey (OBS), Pakistan’s score increased from 30 out of 100 in 2023 to 45 in 2025.
This improvement places Pakistan ahead of several regional and international peers, including:
- India (44)
- Sri Lanka (43)
- Bangladesh (37)
- Nigeria (24)
- China (19)
The Open Budget Survey is an independent global assessment of budget transparency, public participation, and oversight of public finances. The latest results show Pakistan made progress in several areas identified as weaknesses in the 2023 assessment.
Specific improvements include:
- Executive’s Budget Proposal score increasing from 43 to 57
- Enacted Budget score rising from 33 to 50
- Year-End Report being published on time and with more comprehensive information
- Public participation increasing from 15 to 22, surpassing the global average of 17 and the Asia-Pacific average of 18.
These advancements reflect efforts to expand stakeholder consultations, strengthen pre- and post-budget engagement, and enhance parliamentary input into the budget process.
The IBP has also recognized improvements in the online publication of the Year-End Report and the availability of more detailed information in the Executive’s Budget Proposal.
These findings align with the U.S. State Department’s fiscal transparency assessment, which highlighted Pakistan’s strong points, including:
- Widely accessible enacted budget and year-end report
- Substantial disclosure of planned revenues and expenditures
- Reliable budget information
- Independent audit oversight
- Transparent frameworks for natural-resource awards and public procurement
However, the U.S. assessment also noted areas requiring further improvement, such as timely publication of budget documents and fuller disclosure of certain public-sector financial information.
