Global CityIntelligence

Economy & jobs

Economy and jobs in Islamabad, Pakistan

Islamabad has a mixed economy with strengths in government, manufacturing and tourism.

Economy type
Mixed economy
Economy score
50/100

Economy overview

Islamabad has a mixed economy with strengths in government, manufacturing and tourism.

Islamabad, Pakistan is classified as a mixed economy in our deterministic economy index. These are planning estimates derived from country economic priors and existing city signals — not measured GDP or labour-market statistics. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16.

Key industries

The sectors that most shape the local economy, derived deterministically from country and city signals.

Key industries

  • Government
  • Manufacturing
  • Tourism
  • Hospitality
  • Logistics

Employment outlook

The breadth of the labour market and where opportunities concentrate.

Employment outlook

Employment50/100
Job market50/100

Islamabad's labour market is developing, with opportunities concentrated in tourism and hospitality, manufacturing and finance and professional services.

Salary potential

Estimated pay levels and how far local incomes stretch against the cost of living.

Salary potential

Salary potential49/100
Affordability-adjusted income60/100

The affordability-adjusted income score combines estimated pay with the local cost of living, indicating how far a typical income stretches in Islamabad.

Business environment

Conditions for operating and growing a business locally.

Business environment

Business environment50/100

This reflects infrastructure, institutional capacity, and the scale of the local market relative to peer cities.

Startup ecosystem

How supportive the local ecosystem is for new ventures.

Startup ecosystem

Startup ecosystem48/100
Innovation49/100

The startup ecosystem in Islamabad is developing, supported by institutional and government presence.

Remote work suitability

Suitability for remote and distributed work.

Remote work suitability

Remote work50/100
Remote job availability50/100

Islamabad offers limited infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 50/100.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity and how it breaks down by sector.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity50/100
Technology48/100
Healthcare45/100
Finance50/100
Manufacturing62/100
Tourism64/100
Education49/100

Economy score

A 0–100 composite of employment, salary, business environment, startups, innovation, remote work, and affordability-adjusted income. Used consistently across the platform.

Economy score

Economy score50/100
Employment50/100
Salary49/100
Business environment50/100
Startup ecosystem48/100
Innovation49/100
Remote work50/100

Jobs score

A 0–100 labour-market composite and its sector components.

Jobs score

Job market50/100
Technology48/100
Healthcare45/100
Finance50/100
Manufacturing62/100
Tourism64/100
Education49/100
Remote availability50/100
Career opportunity50/100

Continue exploring

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Related guides

Keep exploring Islamabad across the rest of the dataset — its full profile, travel guides and nearby nature.