Over 15,000 highly educated Pakistanis move abroad in 2026 so far

ISLAMABAD – More than 15,000 highly educated Pakistanis have moved abroad for employment so far this year, according to official documents presented in parliament.

The documents show that 45,830 highly educated Pakistanis went abroad in 2024, while 28,726 secured employment overseas in 2025. In 2026, a total of 15,850 highly educated Pakistanis have left the country so far.

Those moving abroad include doctors, engineers, IT professionals and educationists.

Details of Managers and Engineers Working Abroad

According to the documents, 23,674 managers went abroad in 2024, compared with 9,562 in 2025 and 5,190 in 2026 so far.

Similarly, 8,015 engineers secured employment abroad in 2024, while 5,945 went overseas for work in 2025. In 2026, a total of 3,605 engineers have moved abroad.

Accountants, Doctors and Teachers

The documents further reveal that 4,779 accountants went abroad in 2024, followed by 4,305 in 2025 and 1,771 in 2026 so far.

Meanwhile, 3,625 doctors moved abroad in 2024, while 3,795 went overseas in 2025. A total of 2,093 doctors have left the country for employment abroad so far in 2026.

The number of teachers moving abroad stood at 1,729 in 2024 and 1,725 in 2025. In 2026, a total of 1,457 teachers have gone abroad, according to the documents.