SECP Registers 5,003 Companies in October as Total Incorporations Reach 321,794

Online registrations account for 99.9% of new incorporations, with the IT sector leading business formation and China topping foreign investor participation.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 5,003 new companies in October 2026, taking the total number of registered companies in the country to 321,794.

The regulator said 99.9% of the new companies completed their registrations online through its eZfile portal. The platform is integrated with federal and provincial government systems to facilitate the incorporation process.

Private limited companies accounted for the largest share of new registrations, with 2,773 incorporations, representing 55.4% of the total. Single-member companies followed with 2,079 registrations, or 41.6%.

The registrations also included 105 limited liability partnerships, 39 Section 42 not-for-profit companies and seven other entities. These comprised four public companies, two foreign companies and one trade organisation.

Punjab remained the leading region for new company formation, recording 2,663 registrations, or 53.2% of the total. Islamabad Capital Territory followed with 934 incorporations, while Sindh recorded 751.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa registered 382 new companies, followed by Gilgit-Baltistan with 162 and Balochistan with 111.

The information technology sector led business registrations with 991 new companies. Trading ranked second with 767 registrations, followed by services with 594 and construction with 295.

Other sectors attracting new businesses included food and beverages with 219 registrations, tourism with 213, real estate development and e-commerce with 170 each, education with 152 and textiles with 113. The remaining 1,319 companies came from other sectors.

Foreign investor participation also featured in the October registrations. The SECP recorded 173 foreign investors from various countries, including five foreign corporate entities and 168 individual investors.

China accounted for the largest share, with 129 investors. Germany followed with six, while the United States recorded five and the United Kingdom three.

Turkey, Canada, Brazil, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands each contributed two investors. Another 14 investors came from other countries.

The SECP’s gender-related data showed that men continued to account for the majority of shareholders, ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs), directors and chief executives. Women’s representation stood at 13% among shareholders and directors, 11% among UBOs and 8% among chief executives.

The October figures reflect continued use of digital company registration services and business formation across multiple sectors. The IT sector’s leading position also highlights the growing role of technology-related businesses in Pakistan’s corporate landscape.