10m Pakistanis emigrated for jobs abroad in 17 years

Emigration of highly skilled individuals has risen to 5%, compared to previous rate of 2%, while proportion of highly educated emigrants remained steady at 3%

By Kasim Abbasi

August 25, 2024

This image shows people standing at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi to receive passengers. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: Nearly 10 million people have emigrated from Pakistan in the past 17 years, official statistics of the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment reveals.

Notably, 2015 saw the peak of this migration wave, with over 900,000 individuals departing in that year alone.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also significantly impacted migration trends from 2020 to 2021. As restrictions eased in 2022, the numbers surged again to almost 800,000, a level maintained in 2023.

Since 2022, the emigration of highly skilled individuals has risen to 5 percent, compared to the previous rate of 2 percent, while the proportion of highly educated emigrants remained steady at 3 percent. In the last two years, the majority of those leaving the country have been blue-collar workers & labour class. Specifically, 37 percent were skilled workers (down from 44 percent during the Imran Khan era) and 46 percent were unskilled labourers (up from 41 percent during the Imran Khan era).

These shifts indicate a significant increase in unskilled emigration alongside a drop in skilled worker migration.

When analysing Pakistani migration trends across two periods — pre-Covid (2017-2019) and post-Covid (2022-2024) — noticeable changes emerge regarding destination countries and employment opportunities.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Qatar have traditionally been the top destinations for Pakistani job seekers, the post-Covid landscape shows a significant shift. The UAE saw a sharp decline in Pakistani workers, while Saudi Arabia experienced substantial growth.

Additionally, the United Kingdom, Iraq and Romania have gained prominence as attractive destinations for Pakistani emigrants during the post-Covid period.

The highest emigration occurred during the PMLN government (2013-2018), with a total of 3,537,253 people leaving the country.

However, by 2018, during the Imran Khan-led PTI government, this number sharply declined by 60 percent, with only around 300,000 people emigrating for jobs abroad.