Pakistan registered 427,435 workers for overseas employment in the first nine months of 2026, according to official figures from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE).
The annualised pace suggests outflows will stay broadly in line with levels recorded over the past decade, despite easing from post-pandemic highs. The country registered 763,526 workers in 2025. The peak came in 2023, when 862,625 workers were registered.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continue to attract most Pakistani workers. Registrations for Oman and Qatar have fallen sharply from previous highs, while European and other non-traditional destinations have drawn growing interest in recent months.
Overseas employment has followed a wave-like pattern over the past eight years. In 2018, registrations stood at 382,439, a pre-pandemic baseline recorded amid tighter regional regulations and economic adjustments in Gulf countries.
Pandemic-era travel restrictions cut registrations to 225,213 in 2020. Numbers recovered modestly to 288,280 in 2021. As economies reopened, pent-up labour demand lifted registrations to 832,339 in 2022 and to the peak of 862,625 in 2023.
Registrations then eased to 728,509 in 2024 and rose to 763,526 in 2025. The trend through September 2026 points to continued stabilisation.
