Pakistan has seen its vehicle count rise dramatically, climbing from 4.47 million in 1990 to over 39 million in 2025, according to a recent Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) study.
The research, titled More Vehicles, Less Mobility: Understanding the Urban Transport Paradox in Pakistan, was written by Raheel Hasan Qadar and Irem Batool. It notes that private vehicles were the primary source of growth.
Private cars, motorcycles and jeeps rose from 1.42 million in 1990 to 35.87 million in 2025, while public transport vehicles, buses, vans and rickshaws, and other categories stayed roughly between three and four million.
Easier access to auto financing emerged as a key driver, letting more households buy vehicles on installment plans. Ownership accelerated after 2015, matching a sharp increase in consumer financing.
The expanding fleet has worsened air pollution in major cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Road-transport carbon dioxide emissions grew from about 13.8 million tonnes in 1990 to 43.6 million tonnes in 2023, with temporary dips during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns and again in 2022 because of flooding and higher fuel prices, before reaching new peaks.
Transport is estimated to cause roughly 81.3% of Lahore's carbon monoxide emissions, and poor air quality is thought to cut average life expectancy there by around seven years.
In Islamabad-Rawalpindi transport accounts for about 53% of emissions, 51% in Peshawar and 33% in Karachi.
Researchers warned that widening roads and adding flyovers could spur more private vehicle use rather than easing congestion.
They added that such projects might lengthen travel distances, fuel urban sprawl and deepen inequality for those dependent on public transport.
