Over one million Pakistanis went abroad for work in FY 2024–25: Economic Survey

Report highlights labor migration trends across provinces and regions, with Punjab leading way by significant margin


Our Correspondent June 09, 2025
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ISLAMABAD:

More than one million Pakistanis left the country for overseas employment during the current fiscal year, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25. The report highlights labor migration trends across the provinces and regions, with Punjab leading the way by a significant margin.

A total of 404,345 individuals from Punjab went abroad for work, making it the largest contributor to the country’s overseas workforce. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed with 187,000 workers, while Sindh sent 60,424 individuals overseas for employment.

Read More: Finance minister touts recovery, reforms in Economic Survey 2024–25

The report also notes that 29,937 people from the tribal areas and 29,591 from Azad Kashmir left the country in search of better job opportunities.

Smaller numbers were recorded in the federal capital, with 8,621 workers, Balochistan with 5,668, and the northern areas contributing 1,692 workers to the global labor market.

The data underscores the critical role of overseas employment in Pakistan’s economy, particularly in terms of remittances, and highlights regional disparities in labor migration patterns.

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