PSX investors hit a record 681,965 in October 2026, up 56% in a year as 25,747 new accounts open

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 Finance Ministry figures shared on Tuesday 3 November and reported by Business Recorder. At that pace the PSX investor base will cross 700,000 within weeks.

The numbers

The ministry said the 218,894 net additions in ten months were more than the previous four full years put together, calling the expansion "a remarkable shift in investor participation, reflecting growing confidence".

Working back from the ministry's own numbers, the base stood at roughly 437,000 a year ago and about 463,000 at the start of 2026. That is our arithmetic, not a ministry figure.

Why so many people are signing up now

The market itself has given them a reason. The KSE-100 closed its latest reading at 167,992 points on 3 November, up from 166,564 the day before, and the long climb of the past two years is visible on our KSE-100 page. Bank deposit returns have come down with the policy rate, now 12% (see the policy rate page), which makes shares look more attractive to savers who were earlier in fixed deposits or National Savings.

Opening an account has also become easier: most brokers now let you open a Sahulat account online with a CNIC and a bank account, without visiting an office.

What new investors should know before buying

• Tax on gains: profit on shares you sell is taxed under the capital gains rules, and the rate depends on when you bought them. Run your numbers on our capital gains tax calculator.
• Dividends have withholding tax deducted at source, at a lower rate if you are on the Active Taxpayers List. Filing a return is worth it; our income tax calculator shows what you owe on your salary.
• Use only a licensed broker. Check that the broker is a registered member of the PSX and regulated by the SECP before you deposit money, and never send cash to a person's own account.
• Compare with safe returns. Before putting savings into shares, see what a risk-free scheme pays on our National Savings calculator.

The Finance Ministry did not say whether the figure counts unique investors or accounts, or which body (CDC or NCCPL) supplied it. We will add the breakdown if it is published.