Brain drain: Pakistan lost 727,381 workers to overseas employment in 2024

The Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BE&OE) and the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) registered 727,381 workers for overseas employment in 2024, according to The Economic Survey 2024-25 as unveiled by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday.

According to BE&OE, more than 62 percent (452,562) of Pakistani workers moved to Saudi Arabia for employment, followed by Oman (11 percent), to earn a living. UAE employed 64,130 Pakistani workers (9 percent) while Qatar offered jobs to 40,818 individuals (6 percent). Bahrain and Malaysia hosted 25,198 workers (3 percent) and 5,790 workers (1 percent), respectively.

In 2024, the highest number of workers who moved away from Pakistan for work originated from Punjab (404,345), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (187,103), Sindh (60,424), and Tribal areas (29,937).

Brain drain is a growing concern for developing countries like Pakistan, as talent from less developed countries is drawn to developed nations due to higher salaries, access to cutting-edge technology, better living standards and more stable political environments.

The Economic Survey also failed to calculate the unemployment rate for the current year.

Pakistan missed its GDP growth target of 3.6% in the outgoing fiscal year, posting a figure of 2.7%, revealed the Economic Survey 2024-25.

The skill composition of Pakistani emigrants in 2024 continues to be dominated by unskilled and semi-skilled labour, with relatively low representation from mid to highly-skilled professionals.

According to the data, 50 percent of emigrants are categorized as unskilled (366,092), while 35 percent (255,706) are skilled workers.

Although there has been a slight decline compared to 2023, unskilled labour remains in high demand globally, particularly in the areas of construction, domestic work, and agriculture.

Earlier this year, Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir stated that the country’s global diaspora constitutes not “brain drain” but rather a crucial “brain gain”, according to a statement from the military’s media release.

While addressing a convention, the army chief said that those peddling the ‘brain drain’ myth should know this is actually brain gain, adding that the overseas community exemplifies this brilliantly.

Brain drain in Pakistan: causes, consequences and way forward

The total population of Pakistan according to Seventh Population and Housing Census (2023) has reached 241.5 million; growing at 2.55 percent annually. The population comprises 124.32 million (51.5%) males and 117.15 million (48.5) females.

A significant share of Pakistan’s population is young, with 26% aged 15-29 years, while 53.8% fall within the working-age group of 15-59 years. This demographic dividend presents a unique opportunity for economic expansion and development.