Compare Mutual Fund Types in Pakistan: Money Market Holds 44% of Rs 4,536.71 Billion
Pakistan's mutual funds hold Rs 4,536.71 billion: 44% money market, 23% income, 14% equity. Compare fund types and match one to when you need your money.
Short answer: Money market funds hold 44 percent of Pakistan's Rs 4,536.71 billion mutual fund assets, income funds 23 percent, equity funds 14 percent, and other funds 19 percent. That is the position on 31 December 2025, from the Finance Division's Economic Survey 2025-26. Pick a fund type by how long you can leave your money alone.
Most first time investors ask the wrong question. They ask which fund pays the most. The better question is when you need the money back.
We read the capital markets chapter of the Economic Survey 2025-26 on 14 October 2026. It gives the split of the industry by fund type. It does not give returns, fees or fund names, so we cannot tell you which fund to buy and we will not try.
Pakistan's mutual funds hold Rs 4,536.71 billion
The Survey says mutual fund assets under management stood at Rs 4,536.71 billion on 31 December 2025. There were 409 mutual funds and plans, run by 29 companies. Adding portfolios managed for clients, the whole industry came to Rs 5,635 billion.
A mutual fund pools money from many people. A professional manager invests the pool in shares, bonds or short term government paper. You own units of the pool, and the unit price moves with the value of what it holds.
The Survey table also shows Rs 991 billion in discretionary and non discretionary portfolios held by investment advisers. Those are managed accounts for larger clients. They are not what a first time saver buys.
Money market funds hold the biggest share at 44 percent
Money market funds led the industry with 44 percent of assets, followed by income funds at 23 percent and equity funds at 14 percent. The remaining 19 percent sat in other fund types. On Rs 4,536.71 billion, 44 percent is about Rs 1,996 billion by our own arithmetic.
| Fund type | Share of assets | About, in Rs billion |
|---|---|---|
| Money market funds | 44 percent | 1,996 |
| Income funds | 23 percent | 1,043 |
| Equity funds | 14 percent | 635 |
| Other funds | 19 percent | 862 |
The last column is our calculation from the Survey's percentages, rounded. The Survey does not print rupee amounts by type. The percentages themselves are the official figures.
The lesson is plain. Pakistani savers use funds mainly as a place to park cash, not to chase the stock market. That is a sensible habit when interest rates are high. You can see what banks pay in our check of bank lending and deposit rates.
Fund type should match when you need the money
Match the fund to your time horizon. Money you need within months suits a money market fund. Money you can leave for a year or two may suit an income fund. Money you will not touch for five years or more is where an equity fund makes sense, with the risk of losses along the way.
These are general rules, not advice for your case, and the Survey does not state them. The funds differ in what they hold, so the risk differs too.
- Write down the date you will need the money, even a rough one.
- Under one year: look at money market funds, which hold short term paper.
- One to three years: look at income funds, which hold longer bonds and can move in value.
- Five years or more: look at equity funds, which hold shares and can fall sharply in a bad year.
- Read the fund's offer document and its latest monthly report before you buy.
Not every fund fits one bucket. A fund's name is not enough. Ask what it holds and what it charges.
Check the account route before the fund
To buy units you need an investor account with a fund company. Low risk investors can use a short form account with limits, and we explain those limits in our guide to opening a Sehl or Sahulat mutual fund account. If you prefer a step by step start, read how to invest in mutual funds with a CNIC.
Compare the fund with the alternatives too. National Savings pays a fixed profit. See whether it beats a bank on your numbers in the savings account comparison after tax.
Real estate funds are a separate case. The Survey counts real estate trusts under non bank finance, not mutual funds. Our guide to investing in a REIT on the stock exchange covers them.
What the Survey does not tell you
The Survey gives size and split, not returns. It does not say which funds earned the most, what they charge, or how they performed in 2026. Past performance, fees and risk are in each fund's own report, which you should read yourself.
Its figures are also nine months old. The mix has probably changed since 31 December 2025. Use the percentages to see where Pakistani savers put their money, not to time a purchase.
Questions about mutual fund types
How big is Pakistan's mutual fund industry?
Mutual fund assets stood at Rs 4,536.71 billion on 31 December 2025, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26.
Which fund type is biggest?
Money market funds, with 44 percent of industry assets. Income funds come next at 23 percent.
What share is in equity funds?
Equity funds hold 14 percent of mutual fund assets, according to the Survey.
How many mutual funds are there?
The Survey table lists 409 mutual funds and plans, managed by 29 asset management and advisory companies.
Does the Survey say which fund to buy?
No. It reports only totals and shares. Choose by your time horizon and read each fund's own documents.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the capital markets chapter of the Finance Division's Economic Survey 2025-26, which credits SECP for the data. We did not read any fund's report. The rupee amounts by fund type are our own rounding, and the time horizon advice is general, not from the Survey.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
