Best startup cities in Pakistan in 2027

7 cities in Pakistan make our ranking of 1,000 startup cities worldwide. Lahore leads at #257 with a total score of 1.25, followed by Karachi (#286) and Islamabad (#437).

For women founders, Islamabad scores highest in Pakistan on the MeanCEO Index with 60/100. Each city page covers funding, company registration, taxes, founder visas, pros and cons, and the ten MeanCEO factors.

Startup cities in Pakistan, ranked

#	City	World rank	Total	Quantity	Quality	Business	MeanCEO
1	Lahore	#257	1.25	0.4	0.18	0.67	56
2	Karachi	#286	1.08	0.33	0.17	0.58	57
3	Islamabad	#437	0.46	0.17	0.05	0.25	60
4	Rawalpindi	#956	0.11	0.03	0.02	0.06	50
5	Faisalabad	#960	0.1	0.02	0.03	0.05	53
6	Jhelum	#988	0.07	0.01	0.02	0.04	45
7	Multan	#990	0.07	0.01	0.02	0.04	48

Total = quantity (startups, accelerators, coworking spaces) + quality (traction of top startups, unicorns, exits) + business environment (national conditions), from the StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index (2024 edition). The MeanCEO Index (0 to 100) is our own score of how livable and welcoming a city is for women founders.

Other countries in Asia and Oceania

All countries · All 1,000 cities, ranked