New Profit Rates announced for Saving Certificates- Effective November 2025

The federal government has announced a significant set of revisions to the profit rates on various National Savings Schemes (NSS), effective from November 4. The changes, outlined in a notification from the Ministry of Finance, include both increases and decreases across different popular savings products.

Rate Increases for Key Certificates

Many of the schemes designed for general savers will now offer higher returns:

• The Special Savings Certificate has seen its profit rate raised to 11.60 percent.
• The Regular Income Certificate will now provide a 10.92 percent return.
• Short-Term Savings Certificates also received a bump, with the three-month return set at 10.44 percent and the one-year certificate yielding 10.64 percent.
• In the Islamic finance category, the *Sarwa Islamic Term Account* saw profit rates increase for its three- and five-year categories.

Noteworthy Reductions for Specific Schemes

However, not all rates moved upward. Schemes primarily aimed at specific groups have seen profit rate cuts:

• The Behbood Savings Certificate rate, popular among widows and senior citizens, was reduced from 13.44 percent to 12.72 percent.
•  The Defense Savings Certificate also experienced a notable reduction.
• The Shuhada Family Welfare Account* profit rate has been cut by 0.72 percent.

Stable Returns

Several important accounts have remained unchanged:

• The standard Savings Account rate is holding steady at 9.50 percent.
•  The one-year Sarwa Islamic Account maintains a 9.92 percent return.
•  There are no changes to the Sarwa Islamic Savings Account.
•  Meanwhile, the Pensioners’ Benefit Account now offers 12.72 percent—the same revised rate as the Behbood Savings Certificate.

These sweeping changes mean that savers need to review their investments to understand how the new profit rates, effective immediately, will impact their overall returns.

The National Savings Organization is Pakistan’s largest financial institution, boasting a portfolio exceeding Rs. 3.4 trillion and serving over 4 million valued customers through an extensive network of 376 branches nationwide, managed by 12 Regional Directorates.

As a pioneering public sector financial institution, it has successfully promoted a savings culture in Pakistan and generated funds for the government to finance budget deficits and infrastructure projects. With a legacy spanning over 140 years, National Savings has its roots dating back to the Government Savings Bank Act of 1873.

Initially, it was used by the British Government to raise funds for war-related expenditures during World Wars I and II. The National Savings Bureau (NSB) was established in 1943-1944 to institutionalize savings, and it has continued to operate in various forms since Pakistan’s independence in 1947.