Pakistan: The largest number of qualified citizens left the country in 2022

In the past decade, approximately 150,059 highly-skilled Pakistani citizens have left the country to work abroad.

Islamabad: Data from the last 10 years shows that the largest number of qualified Pakistani citizens left the country in search of work in 2022, Dawn reported.

In the past decade, approximately 150,059 highly-skilled Pakistani citizens have left the country to work abroad.

According to the record of the Office of Emigration and Overseas Employment, the lowest number of highly qualified nationals left Pakistan in 2020. There were 5121.

According to experts, during 2020-21, the number of outgoing Pakistanis looking for work was the lowest due to global travel restrictions.

Furthermore, the record from 1971 till now reflects that most of the people went abroad from Rawalpindi. Over 3.3 million people have traveled abroad since 1970 from this district alone and 6.46 million Pakistanis have gone to Saudi Arabia in search of work since 1971.

A total of 12,057 highly-skilled people left Pakistan for work in 2013. In 2014, 14,647 highly-skilled citizens left Pakistan for work. The total number of nationals who left in the same year was 752,466.

Data shows that in 2015, more than 9.4 million people left Pakistan in search of work, of whom 17,484 were highly skilled. In 2016; 839,353 people left the country for job opportunities abroad. Of these, the highly qualified were 16,510, according to Dawn.

In 2017; 16,029 highly-skilled citizens left Pakistan out of a total of 496,286. In 2018; 16,105 highly skilled Pakistani citizens went abroad for job opportunities out of a total of 382,439. In 2019; 625,876 Pakistanis left the country, of whom 15,525 were highly skilled. In 2020, a total of 5,121 highly qualified nationals left the country out of a total of 225,213.

In 2021; 288,280 Pakistanis went abroad in search of work, of whom 7,396 were highly skilled. In 2022, the total number of Pakistanis who left the country in search of work was 832,339. Of these, 17,976 were highly qualified. However, as of June 2023, around 10,845 highly-skilled citizens of Pakistan have left the country to work abroad out of a total of 3,95,166.