Zakat on Silver in Pakistan: How to Calculate the 2.5% (2026 Guide)
The short answer: 2.5% of your silver's current market value, paid once a year — if your total zakatable wealth (silver plus cash, gold and everything else) reaches the nisab of 612.36 grams of silver and stays there for one lunar year.
The quick answer
Silver is one of the simplest assets to work zakat on. There are only three steps:
- Check the nisab: your total zakatable wealth must be at least the value of 612.36 grams of silver (52.5 tola). In October 2026 that is about Rs 333,000 — far lower than the gold nisab, which is why more people qualify.
- Value your silver: weigh it, adjust for purity (999 fine, 925 sterling), and multiply by today's per-gram silver rate.
- Take 2.5%: multiply the market value by 0.025. That is your zakat on the silver — paid after one lunar year (haul) has passed.
A note before we start: zakat rulings have differences of opinion between schools of thought. This guide is general information for calculation purposes — not a fatwa. Where it matters, consult a scholar you trust.
Step 1: The silver nisab — 612.36 grams
The nisab is the minimum threshold that makes zakat obligatory. For silver it is fixed by weight: 612.36 grams, which equals 52.5 tola (1 tola = 11.664 grams). The weight never changes — only its rupee value moves with the market.
| Silver nisab | Fixed weight | PKR value (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| In grams | 612.36 g | ≈ Rs 333,000 (52.5 tola × ~Rs 6,352/tola Sarafa rate) |
| In tola | 52.5 tola | |
| Gold nisab (for comparison) | 87.48 g | ≈ Rs 3,270,000 |
Notice how much lower the silver threshold is: roughly one-tenth of the gold nisab. Many scholars recommend using the silver nisab as the cautious option, because it brings more people into paying zakat and more zakat to the poor. For the full breakdown of both thresholds, see our zakat nisab 2026 guide.
Step 2: Work out your silver's market value
Zakat is calculated on the current market (selling) value of your silver — what a dealer would pay for it today — not what you originally paid.
Adjust for purity first. Pure (999 fine) silver counts at full weight. Most Pakistani silver jewellery is 925 sterling (92.5% silver), so multiply the weight by 0.925 before pricing it. Heavily alloyed or silver-plated items (a thin coating over copper or another metal) do not count as zakatable silver at all.
| Silver type | Purity factor | Formula for zakatable value |
|---|---|---|
| 999 fine (bars, coins) | 1.00 | weight × Rs/gram × 1.00 |
| 925 sterling (most jewellery) | 0.925 | weight × Rs/gram × 0.925 |
| Silver-plated / German silver | — | Excluded — negligible silver content |
Use the per-gram silver rate from the Sarafa market on the day you calculate. In October 2026 it sat around Rs 544 per gram (about Rs 6,352 per tola) — but silver moves daily, so always check the current rate.
Step 3: Apply the 2.5% formula
Once you have the market value of your silver (and confirmed your total wealth clears the nisab), the formula is one line:
| Step | Calculation |
|---|---|
| 1. Zakatable silver value | weight × purity factor × today's Rs/gram rate |
| 2. Zakat due | zakatable value × 0.025 (2.5%) |
| Quick version | market value ÷ 40 (dividing by 40 = 2.5%) |
Worked example 1: 100 tola of silver jewellery
Say you own 100 tola of silver jewellery (925 sterling), and the Sarafa rate is Rs 6,352 per tola:
- Full-weight value: 100 × Rs 6,352 = Rs 635,200
- Adjust for purity: Rs 635,200 × 0.925 = Rs 587,560
- Nisab check: Rs 587,560 is well above the ~Rs 333,000 silver nisab ✓
- Zakat: Rs 587,560 × 2.5% = Rs 14,689
(If the jewellery were 999 fine, you would skip the purity step: Rs 635,200 × 2.5% = Rs 15,880.)
Worked example 2: Silver bars and coins
Investment silver is simpler — bars and coins are 999 fine, so no purity adjustment:
- You hold 2 kg (2,000 g) of silver bars
- Market value: 2,000 × Rs 544.40 = Rs 1,088,800
- Zakat: Rs 1,088,800 × 2.5% = Rs 27,220
And a small one: 1 kg of silver at the same rate = Rs 544,400 → zakat Rs 13,610. Notice this alone clears the nisab — anyone holding a kilo of silver owes zakat on it.
What counts — and what doesn't
| Item | Zakatable? |
|---|---|
| Silver jewellery (worn or stored) | Yes — at market value, purity-adjusted |
| Silver bars, ingots, coins | Yes — at full market value |
| Silver utensils / dinner sets | Yes — at market value |
| Silver held as business stock | Yes — valued like other trade goods (see our zakat on business inventory guide) |
| Silver-plated or German-silver items | No — negligible actual silver |
| Stones/gems set in silver jewellery | No — weigh the silver only, exclude stones |
One common question: is zakat due on silver jewellery a woman wears daily? The majority (Hanafi) view says yes — personal-use gold and silver jewellery is zakatable. A minority view exempts jewellery actually worn. Given the difference, ask a scholar you trust which position to follow.
Silver + gold + cash: combine them into one pot
You do not check the nisab separately for each asset. All zakatable assets — cash, bank balances, gold, silver, trade goods and investments — go into one pot, debts are subtracted, and the total is compared against the nisab. Then zakat is 2.5% of the entire zakatable total.
Example: Rs 200,000 in the bank + silver worth Rs 150,000 = Rs 350,000 total — above the silver nisab, so zakat is due: Rs 350,000 × 2.5% = Rs 8,750. Even though neither asset alone reached Rs 333,000, together they do. Our free zakat calculator handles exactly this: add each asset, subtract debts, and it checks the nisab and computes your 2.5% in one go.
Key takeaways
- Zakat on silver = 2.5% of current market value, after one lunar year above the nisab.
- Silver nisab = 612.36 g (52.5 tola) ≈ Rs 333,000 in October 2026 — re-check the rate when you pay.
- Adjust for purity: 925 sterling counts at 0.925 of its weight; plated items don't count.
- Silver is pooled with gold, cash and other assets for the nisab check — not judged alone.
- Rates change daily, and rulings differ — this is general information, not a fatwa. Consult a scholar you trust.
Frequently asked questions
Is zakat due on silver jewellery in Pakistan?
Yes. The majority view (Hanafi) is that zakat is due on silver jewellery at 2.5% of its current market value once your total zakatable wealth reaches the nisab and one lunar year has passed. Some scholars exempt personal-use jewellery, so consult a scholar you trust.
What is the silver nisab in PKR today?
The silver nisab is 612.36 grams (52.5 tola). At the October 2026 Sarafa rate of roughly Rs 6,352 per tola, that is about Rs 333,000. Silver prices change daily, so re-check the rate when you calculate.
How much zakat is due on 1 kg of silver?
1 kg of silver at Rs 544.40 per gram (October 2026) is worth Rs 544,400. Zakat at 2.5% is Rs 13,610, provided your total zakatable assets are at or above the nisab.
Do I pay zakat on 925 sterling silver at full value?
No — pay on the actual silver content. For 925 sterling, multiply the weight by 0.925, then by the current silver rate, then take 2.5% of that value. Silver-plated items (a thin coating over another metal) do not count as zakatable silver.
Do I combine silver with gold and cash to check the nisab?
Yes. Cash, bank balances, gold, silver, trade goods and investments are all added into one pot and the total is compared against the nisab. Zakat is then 2.5% of the whole zakatable total, not just the silver.