Pakistan’s IT Exports Top $4 Billion For First Time, Remain Far Behind India’s $224 Billion.

Pakistan’s information technology sector crossed the $4 billion mark for the first time in the country’s history during the first 11 months of fiscal year 2025-26, driven by strong growth in software services and rising earnings from freelancers.

According to the latest data released by the State Bank of Pakistan, exports of IT and IT-enabled services reached more than $4.18 billion during July-May FY26, compared with $3.47 billion during the same period last year, registering an increase of about $709 million.

The export figures include revenues generated by software companies as well as freelance professionals. Freelancer remittances alone exceeded $1 billion during the period.

Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA) Chairman Ibrahim Amin attributed the increase in IT exports to the country’s young workforce, noting that more than 99% of skilled professionals in the sector are young people.

He said freelancers had played a key role in the growth of IT exports, adding that young people living in towns, villages and cities across Pakistan were earning valuable foreign exchange for themselves and the country through freelance work.

Amin said the number of freelancers and digital workers in Pakistan was continuing to rise as awareness of freelancing opportunities and digital skills training increased among students and young professionals.

He added that the growing adoption of artificial intelligence was creating new opportunities for Pakistani freelancers and was expected to further increase export earnings while strengthening Pakistan’s position in the global digital economy.

IT exporter Dr Nauman Saeed said Pakistan possessed significant potential to further expand IT exports and generate higher foreign exchange earnings, but structural weaknesses were preventing the sector from fully utilizing its capacity.

He said the country needed a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the domestic IT ecosystem and sustain the momentum in export growth. This included providing the workforce with advanced digital skills and expanding access to new international markets while deepening its presence in existing ones.

Despite the record performance, Pakistan’s IT industry remains small compared with regional leader India, whose IT exports reached about $224 billion in fiscal year 2024-25. Analysts say Pakistan has significant room for expansion if it addresses structural bottlenecks and continues investing in digital skills and technology infrastructure.

The latest figures underline the growing importance of the IT sector as one of Pakistan’s major sources of foreign exchange and highlight the increasing contribution of freelancers to the country’s export earnings.

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