ISLAMABAD: According to the Protectorate of Emigrants, nearly 2.9 million Pakistanis have left the country in the past three years, with the migration driven by factors such as low salaries, limited amenities, and high private education costs. The total number of emigrants since 1981 has now reached 13.89 million, with 2,894,645 people departing from Pakistan up until September 15, 2025.
Punjab has recorded the highest number of emigrants, followed by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Sindh, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Women represent a significant portion of the emigrants, with professionals such as doctors, engineers, IT specialists, and teachers, along with skilled workers like plumbers, drivers, and welders, also seeking opportunities abroad.
The latest statistics from the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment highlight that Punjab has the highest emigration rate since 1981, with over 7.2 million people leaving. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa follows with over 3.5 million emigrants, while Sindh has 1.28 million and AJK has 813,526 emigrants.
A report from Denmark’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reveals that 40% of Pakistanis express a desire to leave the country. Economic challenges, political instability, unemployment, high inflation, limited educational opportunities, and terrorism are the main reasons behind the growing emigration trend. Illegal migration, particularly to Europe, has surged by 280% in recent years, with nearly 8,800 Pakistanis entering Europe illegally by the end of 2023.
Experts have raised concerns about the rising trend of risky migration and the increasing desire among Pakistanis to seek better opportunities abroad.
