Pakistan suffers Rs65 billion loss due to 'internet shutdown'

A Germany-based data collection company, Statista, reported that Pakistan's economy suffered a massive loss of Rs65 billion in 2023 due to internet shutdowns. 

The outages, which lasted for 259 hours, affected 8.3 million Pakistanis, placing the country seventh in terms of economic losses globally.

The report highlighted that India topped the list of longest internet shutdowns in 2023, with 470 million users affected.

Russia suffered an estimated $4 billion in economic losses due to 1350 hours of internet shutdowns, impacting 113 million users.

In India, the internet shutdowns resulted in an estimated economic loss of INR80 billion, affecting 59 million consumers. 

The shutdowns were primarily in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan, aimed at preventing public protests and addressing ethnic tensions in Manipur.

The report underscored the significant economic impact of internet shutdowns on countries, emphasising the need for stable and uninterrupted internet access to support economic growth and development.