Bureau of Immigration data shows that over 750,000 Pakistanis went abroad for employment in 2025, slightly higher than the 727,381 recorded in 2024.
According to the report, more than 400,000 unskilled workers and over 200,000 skilled workers secured jobs overseas last year. Saudi Arabia remained the top destination for Pakistani workers.
The data further breaks down professions of those who went abroad: 5,659 accountants, 10,503 cooks, 3,795 doctors, 5,946 engineers, and 1,640 nurses secured employment overseas. Additionally, 1,725 teachers, 163,718 drivers, 6,475 electricians, 465,138 laborers, 5,700 masons, 12,703 technicians, 11,777 managers, and 2,306 plumbers went abroad for work.
Other categories included 2,027 waiters, 18,352 highly educated individuals, and 13,657 highly skilled workers. In total, 222,171 skilled, 42,257 semi-skilled, and 466,062 unskilled Pakistanis left the country for employment in 2025.
Saudi Arabia hosted the largest number of Pakistani workers, with 530,256 going there, followed by 52,664 to the UAE, 68,376 to Qatar, 37,726 to Bahrain, 6,590 to Kuwait, and 1,005 to the United States. Other destinations included South Korea (39), the United Kingdom (4,355), Germany (984), Italy (813), China (2,230), Japan (2,210), and Romania (1,109).
The report highlights the continued trend of labor migration from Pakistan, with Gulf countries remaining the primary destinations for both skilled and unskilled Pakistani workers.
