PSX investor base hits a record 681,965, up 56% in a year, as 25,747 accounts open in October

The number of investors on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) reached a record 681,965 in October 2026, up 56% from a year earlier, according to data the Finance Ministry shared on Tuesday. Business Recorder reported the figures.

The numbers

• Total investors in October: 681,965, a record.
• Growth on a year earlier: 56%.
• New accounts in October alone: 25,747, the highest monthly addition on record.
• Net new investors from January to October 2026: 218,894.
• Share of new investors from Gen Z and millennials: 85%.

The ministry said the January to October addition is more than the last four full years combined, and called the rise "a remarkable shift in investor participation". Investors crossed 600,000 as far back as August 2026, so the base grew by more than 80,000 in about two months, going by the two figures.

Where the market stands

The KSE-100 stood at 167,992 in our latest reading on 3 November, up from 166,564 the day before. You can follow the daily level and history on our KSE-100 page.

What the figure does and does not tell you

The ministry's number counts investor accounts. It does not say how many of them trade every day or how much money they hold, so it is a measure of people entering the market, not of how much they are investing. New investors should also remember that tax applies to profit from selling shares, and our capital gains tax calculator shows how much a sale could cost you before you decide to sell.

The ministry did not give a breakdown by city or by broker in the data it released.