During the month of October 2025, Pakistan exported 29 million liters of ethanol, generating around USD 20 million in foreign exchange. In Pakistan, ethanol is produced primarily from sugarcane, where the conversion efficiency averages between 70–75 liters per ton of cane due to comparatively lower sucrose content. This is significantly lower than Brazil, where highly efficient agricultural practices and advanced distillery technologies deliver 85–90 liters per ton.
Globally, ethanol production now exceeds 100 billion liters annually, and demand continues to rise as more countries shift toward renewable energy, cleaner fuels, and sustainability-focused policies. Many emerging economies are increasingly blending ethanol into transport fuels to reduce oil import bills and greenhouse gas emissions.
Pakistan is already one of the top five sugarcane-producing countries in the world and with global ethanol demand steadily increasing especially in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, it is likely that the ethanol industry will continue to expand further as Pakistan is in the position to become an increasingly competitive and influential ethanol supplier, helping boost export revenues and strengthening the broader agro-industrial economy.
