Official data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment shows that Pakistan registered 427,435 workers for jobs abroad during the first nine months of 2026.
Based on this annualised pace, worker outflows will likely remain consistent with figures seen across the last ten years, even as numbers cool from post-pandemic peaks. In 2025, the nation recorded 763,526 registered workers. The highest point occurred in 2023 with a total of 862,625 registrations.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates still absorb the largest share of Pakistani labor. Meanwhile, registrations for Oman and Qatar dropped steeply compared to earlier highs, whereas European nations and alternative markets gained traction lately.
For the past eight years, migration for work moved in waves. Back in 2018, the total reached 382,439, serving as a pre-pandemic baseline during a period of stricter Gulf regulations and financial shifts.
Due to health crisis travel limits, registrations dropped to 225,213 in 2020. A modest rebound brought the count to 288,280 in 2021. Following the reopening of global markets, pent-up hiring demand pushed registrations up to 832,339 in 2022 before hitting the 2023 peak.
Afterward, registrations dropped to 728,509 in 2024 before climbing back to 763,526 in 2025. Data up to September 2026 indicates ongoing stability.
