Culture & History
The economics of the Pakistani mango trade
Pakistan grows 1.8 million tonnes a year. Less than 7% gets exported. Here's where the rest goes, and why UK prices look the way they do.
7 min read · published 12 June 2026
Production scale
Pakistan produces around 1.8 million tonnes of mango annually, making it the fifth-largest mango producer in the world after India (24m), China (4.7m), Thailand (3.4m) and Indonesia (3m).
Pakistan's share of global mango trade by value is much higher than its production share, Pakistani fruit commands premium prices in Gulf and European markets.
Export markets
Around 7% of Pakistani mango production is exported, roughly 125,000 tonnes annually. The UAE is by far the largest market, followed by the UK, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The UK is Pakistan's largest European market by volume and the highest per-kilogram price market overall.
The price stack from farm to UK kitchen
A premium Chaunsa farmgate price in Multan is roughly £0.80-£1.20/kg in 2026 money. By the time the same fruit reaches a UK customer it sells for £5-£8/kg.
Most of the markup is air-freight (mango is shipped airfreighted from Karachi at £2-£3/kg), inspection, customs, export logistics, last-mile UK courier delivery and retailer margin.
Why UK prices look high
UK retail Pakistani mango at £6-£8/kg looks expensive against £1-£2/kg Indian mango in supermarkets, but the supermarket Indian fruit is sea-shipped and pre-ripened, not airfreighted fresh.
Comparing like for like (airfreighted fresh fruit) the UK Pakistani price is competitive with French and German imports.
Role in Pakistan's economy
Mango accounts for around 1.2% of Pakistan's agricultural GDP and supports an estimated 250,000 jobs across growing, packing and logistics.
It's also a foreign-exchange earner, annual mango exports bring in roughly $90-110m USD. Small in absolute terms but significant for the agricultural sector.
Frequently asked
- How many tonnes of mango does Pakistan produce per year?
- Around 1.8 million tonnes annually, making it the fifth-largest producer globally.
- What percentage of Pakistani mangoes get exported?
- Approximately 7%, the vast majority is consumed domestically.
- Why is airfreighted Pakistani mango so much more expensive than supermarket fruit?
- Air-freight alone adds £2-£3/kg, plus export logistics, inspection and last-mile delivery costs. The supermarket alternative is sea-shipped and pre-ripened.