ISLAMABAD – Thousands of highly educated Pakistanis have travelled abroad for employment over the past three years, including doctors, engineers, IT professionals, accountants, managers and teachers, according to documents presented in parliament.
As a whole, over 1.8 million Pakistanis travelled abroad for the employment abroad during 2024-26.
The documents show that 45,830 highly educated Pakistanis went abroad in 2024, while 28,726 secured overseas employment in 2025. A further 15,850 highly educated Pakistanis went abroad in 2026 so far.
The figures indicated that managers accounted for a significant share of professionals seeking employment abroad. In 2024, a total of 23,674 managers went overseas, followed by 9,562 in 2025 and 5,190 in 2026 so far.
The number of engineers securing overseas employment stood at 8,015 in 2024 and 5,945 in 2025. In 2026, a further 3,605 engineers went abroad for work.
According to the documents, 4,779 accountants went abroad in 2024, followed by 4,305 in 2025 and 1,771 in 2026 so far.
The figures also show that 3,625 doctors travelled abroad in 2024. The number increased to 3,795 in 2025, while 2,093 doctors went overseas in 2026 so far.
The education sector also featured in the figures. A total of 1,729 teachers went abroad in 2024, followed by 1,725 in 2025 and 1,457 in 2026 so far.
