Economic Survey highlights massive brain drain

Islamabad: The Economic Survey of Pakistan 2024-25 have shone a spotlight on the nation’s heavy reliance on its overseas workforce to sustain its economy, as millions of Pakistanis continue to seek opportunities abroad.

Since 1972, over 14.22 million Pakistanis, mostly from Punjab, have officially left the country for employment in more than 50 countries-a testament to the scale of the brain drain.The vast majority-over 96%-have headed to Gulf Cooperation Council states, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where they send back billions in remittances, a lifeline for Pakistan’s economy and its households.

In 2024 alone, the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment and the Overseas Employment Corporation registered 727,381 Pakistanis for overseas jobs.Saudi Arabia remained the top destination, receiving more than 452,000 Pakistani workers-62% of the total-followed by Oman at 11%.

The UAE hired 64,130 Pakistani workers (9%), while Qatar employed 40,818 (6%). Other destinations included Bahrain (25,198 workers) and Malaysia (5,790 workers).Remittances sent home by these expatriate workers continue to be Pakistan’s second-largest source of foreign exchange after exports, easing poverty, improving living standards and driving household consumption.

Yet the trend raises concerns about Pakistan’s long-term development: the workforce leaving the country is still largely unskilled or semi-skilled. Data shows that in 2024, about half of the migrants (366,092) were unskilled, while 35% (255,706) were skilled workers.

Highly qualified professionals remain underrepresented, reflecting an education and training gap that hampers Pakistan’s ability to retain talent for its own growth.Punjab led the exodus of workers abroad in 2024, with 404,345 people leaving the province for jobs overseas, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (187,103), Sindh (60,424), and the tribal areas (29,937).

Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan lagged far behind, a disparity driven by high migration costs, poor infrastructure and cultural barriers.Despite a slight drop from 2023 figures, the global demand for Pakistani unskilled labour remains robust, especially in construction, domestic work and agriculture.