ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s uncertain economic situation, rising inflation, and ongoing political instability have driven thousands of educated and skilled citizens to emigrate, according to ARY News.
Documents from the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment reveal that over 700,000 people left Pakistan in 2024 in search of better opportunities. This figure, while substantial, shows a slight decrease from the over 811,000 people who emigrated the previous year.
Long-standing political instability and the deepening economic crisis have significantly impacted Pakistan’s future prospects. The bureau’s report indicates that Saudi Arabia issued the most visas to Pakistani citizens, followed by the United Arab Emirates, which granted visas to professionals across various categories.
There has also been an increased demand for professional workers in the United States and Europe, noted Deputy Director Abdul Shakoor Soomro.
In 2022, approximately 765,000 highly educated and skilled young professionals, including doctors, engineers, IT experts, accountants, and paramedics, left Pakistan. This exodus marked a 300% increase in the country’s brain drain. The majority of these individuals relocated to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
As a result of this brain drain in 2022, Pakistan lost seven thousand engineers, 25,000 doctors, 1,600 nurses, 2,000 computer experts, 6,500 accountants, 2,600 agricultural experts, and 900 teachers.
