Over 727,000 Pakistanis went abroad for employment in one year; Saudi Arabia top destination
Pakistan
Punjab tops list with 404,345 individuals leaving the province for overseas jobs
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Pakistan Economic Survey 2025 has revealed a significant rise in labor migration, with over 727,000 Pakistanis moving abroad for employment during the current fiscal year.
This trend highlights the growing reliance on overseas job markets, particularly in the Gulf region, amid domestic economic challenges and limited job opportunities.
According to the survey, Saudi Arabia remained the most preferred destination, absorbing 62 percent of the total migrant workforce.
This translates to nearly 452,000 workers seeking employment in the Kingdom. Oman and the United Arab Emirates followed with 11 per cent and 9 per cent shares, respectively.
In terms of regional breakdown, Punjab topped the list with 404,345 individuals leaving the province for overseas jobs.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa came in second with 187,000, while Sindh saw 60,424 workers migrate abroad. From the former tribal areas, 29,937 people went overseas, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir contributed 29,591 workers. Islamabad recorded 8,621, Balochistan saw 5,668, and Northern Areas had 1,692 migrants.
The report also shared a key economic development: remittances sent home by overseas Pakistanis surged to $31.2 billion during the fiscal year.
These remittances remain a crucial source of foreign exchange for the country, helping to stabilize the external account and support household consumption.
