“Market size is leverage — if the system around it lets you use it.”
One number in WIPO's Global Innovation Index 2026 is easy to miss: Pakistan's domestic market scale — measured in GDP, PPP terms — is valued at roughly USD 1.67 trillion, ranking 26th in the world. That's a genuinely strong position, ahead of many economies ranked far higher overall.
It sits in sharp contrast to Pakistan's Institutions pillar, which ranks 126th — among the weakest in the entire index, dragged down by operational stability for businesses (126th) and regulatory quality (125th).
This is the gap that matters most for anyone thinking about licensing, market entry or IP strategy in Pakistan: the market itself is large and real. The friction is regulatory and institutional, not a lack of underlying demand or scale.
For international businesses evaluating Pakistan, and for local businesses building IP they intend to license or export, the message is the same: the opportunity is there, but it has to be approached with eyes open about where the institutional friction actually sits.
A strong market with weak institutions is still a market worth having a strategy for — just not a passive one.
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Global Innovation Index 2026 — Pakistan Economy Profile