ISLAMABAD — Pakistan recorded its second-warmest year in 65 years during 2025, following a record-breaking hottest year in 2024. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey, these consecutive years of extreme temperatures have accelerated glacial melt and altered monsoon patterns, presenting a severe systemic risk to the national economy.
Key Highlights
- 2025 was registered as the second-hottest year in Pakistan since 1960, trailing only 2024.
- The national annual mean temperature reached 23.9°C, standing 1.09°C above the historical norm.
- Northern territories recorded their highest annual temperatures in 65 years due to rapid warming.
- Total annual rainfall fell 3 percent below average, but monsoon precipitation spiked 23 percent above normal.
- Funding constraints leave a $217.7 billion gap in meeting the country’s climate-resilient investment needs.
Pakistan just logged its second warmest year in 65 years, with the 2025 national average temperature reaching 23.9C 🧵 pic.twitter.com/BTDKqFvPr4
— ProPakistani (@ProPakistaniPK) June 12, 2026
Intense Northern Warming and Altered Monsoons
The climate data reveals that regional warming was most severe across Pakistan’s northern mountain ecosystems. Temperature anomalies soared by 1.24°C in Gilgit-Baltistan, 1.29°C in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 1.56°C in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. This rapid heating has accelerated glacial melt and significantly disrupted traditional weather patterns.
While the cumulative annual rainfall of 288.5 millimeters was slightly below the long-term baseline, precipitation distribution was highly volatile. The winter months experienced severe dryness, whereas the summer monsoon season brought rainfall 23 percent above average. The survey noted that fewer rainy days with higher intensity have shifted monsoon patterns southward, triggering widespread floods across all provinces reminiscent of the 2022 climate devastation.
Financial Deficits and Global Context
The report notes that while Pakistan contributes less than 1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, it bears a disproportionate socioeconomic burden from climate change. To mitigate these risks, the World Bank estimates the country’s climate-resilient investment needs at $565.7 billion by 2030. However, constrained international financing has left an additional funding gap of $217.7 billion, threatening Pakistan’s ability to fulfill its United Nations climate commitments.
Regional Temperature Anomalies (2025)
• Azad Jammu and Kashmir: +1.56°C above historic average
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: +1.29°C above historic average
• Gilgit-Baltistan: +1.24°C above historic average
• National Mean Deviation: +1.09°C above historic average
This domestic crisis unfolds alongside alarming global indicators. The World Health Organization recently reported that extreme heat has claimed over 200,000 lives in Europe since 2022, labeling the phenomenon a lethal, systemic threat that requires coordinated institutional responses rather than isolated individual adjustments.
