More than 727,000 Pakistanis went abroad for employment in 2025 as per the data released by the Bureau of Immigration,
For the previous year - 2024 - the figure was slightly lower at 727,381.
The report shows that over 400,000 unskilled and more than 200,000 skilled workers secured jobs overseas last year. Saudi Arabia was the top destination for Pakistani workers.
The statistics indicate that 5,659 accountants, 10,503 cooks, 3,795 doctors, and 5,946 engineers went abroad. Additionally, 1,640 nurses, 1,725 teachers, 163,718 drivers, 6,475 electricians, and 465,138 laborers left the country for work. The report also lists 5,700 masons, 12,703 technicians, 11,777 managers, and 2,306 plumbers among overseas workers.
Other figures show 2,027 waiters, 18,352 highly educated professionals, and 13,657 highly skilled individuals left the country. Overall, 222,171 skilled, 42,257 semi-skilled, and 466,062 unskilled Pakistanis went abroad in 2025.
Regarding destinations, 530,256 Pakistanis went to Saudi Arabia, 52,664 to the UAE, 68,376 to Qatar, 37,726 to Bahrain, 6,590 to Kuwait, and 1,005 to the United States. Smaller numbers went to other countries, including 39 to South Korea, 4,355 to the UK, 984 to Germany, 813 to Italy, 2,230 to China, 2,210 to Japan, and 1,109 to Romania.
This report highlights the continuing trend of Pakistani workers seeking employment opportunities abroad, with a significant share still heading to the Gulf region.
