Zakat on gold and silver is 2.5% (one-fortieth) of their value. It becomes due when the wealth you own is at or above the nisab and you have held it for a full Islamic (lunar) year. The nisab is 7.5 tola of gold (87.48 grams) or 52.5 tola of silver (612.35 grams).
This guide explains which nisab applies to you, which rate to use, and how to work out the amount per tola, with worked examples using PGBX rates.
Quick answer
- Zakat rate: 2.5% of the value of your zakatable wealth
- Gold nisab: 7.5 tola (87.48 grams)
- Silver nisab: 52.5 tola (612.35 grams)
- Time condition: the wealth has been at or above nisab for one full lunar year (hawl)
- 1 tola: 11.6638 grams
Which nisab applies to you: gold or silver?
The two nisab levels are very different in value, so it matters which one you use.
- If you own only gold and no silver, cash, savings or trade goods, the gold nisab applies. Zakat is due only if you have 7.5 tola of gold or more.
- If you own a mix, for example some gold together with cash, savings or silver, you add everything together and compare the total with the silver nisab, the value of 52.5 tola of silver. Because silver's nisab is much lower in value, most people who hold a little gold plus some cash will reach it.
How to calculate zakat on gold and silver
- Fix your zakat date. This is the date, each lunar year, on which you first owned wealth at or above nisab. Many people use a date in Ramadan.
- Weigh your gold and silver in tola. For a bullion bar the weight is stamped on the bar. To convert grams to tola, divide by 11.6638.
- Find the value on your zakat date. Multiply the weight in tola by the rate per tola on that day (see the next section on which rate to use).
- Add your other zakatable wealth. Cash, bank balances, savings and trade goods, minus debts that are due.
- Compare the total with the nisab that applies to you.
- If you are at or above nisab, pay 2.5% of the total. The quick way is to divide the total by 40.
Which rate should you use: buy or sell?
A bullion dealer quotes two rates: a sell rate (the price at which the dealer sells to you) and a buy rate (the price at which the dealer buys from you). Many scholars in Pakistan say that zakatable items should be valued at the price they would actually fetch if sold on your zakat date, not at what you paid for them. For a gold or silver bar, the price it would fetch is the dealer's buy rate.
You can see both PGBX rates, per tola, per 10 gram and per gram, on the Gold & Silver Rates page, with the time they were posted. If you are unsure which rate applies to you, ask your scholar.
Worked examples
These examples use PGBX buy rates posted on 29 September 2026: gold Rs 438,500 per tola and silver Rs 6,700 per tola. Rates change through the day, so use the rate on your own zakat date.
At these rates the silver nisab (52.5 tola) was worth Rs 351,750 and the gold nisab (7.5 tola) was worth Rs 3,288,750.
Example 1: a 10 tola gold bar, nothing else
- Only gold is owned, so the gold nisab applies. 10 tola is above 7.5 tola, so zakat is due.
- Value: 10 × Rs 438,500 = Rs 4,385,000
- Zakat: 2.5% of Rs 4,385,000 = Rs 109,625
Example 2: 5 tola of gold plus Rs 50,000 in cash
- This is a mix of gold and cash, so the silver nisab applies.
- Gold: 5 × Rs 438,500 = Rs 2,192,500. Add cash of Rs 50,000. Total: Rs 2,242,500
- The total is above the silver nisab of Rs 351,750, so zakat is due.
- Zakat: 2.5% of Rs 2,242,500 = Rs 56,062.50
Note that 5 tola of gold on its own would be below the gold nisab. It is the cash held alongside it that brings the silver nisab into use.
Example 3: a 10 tola silver bar plus Rs 20,000 in cash
- Silver: 10 × Rs 6,700 = Rs 67,000. Add cash of Rs 20,000. Total: Rs 87,000
- The total is below the silver nisab of Rs 351,750, so no zakat is due on this wealth alone.
Zakat on 1 tola of gold and 1 tola of silver
Once zakat is due, it is 2.5% of each tola's value. At the rates above:
- 1 tola of gold: 2.5% of Rs 438,500 = Rs 10,962.50
- 1 tola of silver: 2.5% of Rs 6,700 = Rs 167.50
Zakat on gold and silver jewellery
In the Hanafi school, which most Muslims in Pakistan follow, zakat is also due on gold and silver jewellery, including jewellery that is worn. Some other schools of fiqh exempt jewellery kept for regular personal use. Precious stones set in jewellery are not counted as gold. Jewellery is usually 22K or 21K rather than pure gold, so ask a scholar how to count its gold content.
Bullion bars are simpler. A PGBX bar has its exact weight and fineness stamped on it: 999.0 means 99.90% pure and 999.9 means 99.99% pure, and both are 24 karat. You can confirm any PGBX bar by its serial number on the verification page.
The government nisab for bank deduction (1447 AH)
Separately from your own calculation, the government deducts zakat at source from certain bank accounts. For 1447 AH, the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety notified a nisab of Rs 503,529 on 16 February 2026. Zakat was deducted on the first day of Ramadan from savings accounts, profit and loss sharing accounts and similar deposits holding that amount or more.
This deduction applies only to those bank accounts. It does not cover the gold and silver you hold yourself. You calculate zakat on your gold and silver using the steps above.
Frequently asked questions
Is zakat due on gold kept as an investment?
Yes. Gold and silver are zakatable whatever the purpose they are kept for, including bullion bars held as savings or investment, once your wealth reaches nisab and a lunar year has passed.
How much is the zakat on 1 tola of gold?
It is 2.5% of the value of one tola on your zakat date. At the PGBX gold buy rate of Rs 438,500 per tola on 29 September 2026, that was Rs 10,962.50. Check the live rate on your own zakat date.
What is the nisab of gold in grams?
7.5 tola, which is 87.48 grams. The nisab of silver is 52.5 tola, which is 612.35 grams.
Can I pay zakat in cash instead of gold?
Yes. Most people pay the cash value. If you pay in cash, the value on your zakat date is what counts.
Do I use the rate I bought at?
No. Zakat is worked out on the value on your zakat date, not on the price you paid when you bought the gold or silver.
This guide explains the rules commonly followed in Pakistan. It is not a fatwa. For your own situation, especially jewellery, debts or business stock, please ask a qualified mufti or scholar.
For today's gold and silver rate per tola, see the PGBX Gold & Silver Rates page, or message PGBX on WhatsApp at 0303-3521555.