Record remittances: PM heaps praise on overseas Pakistanis
- Calls them valuable asset
Pakistan's overseas workers sent a record $41.6 billion in remittances in fiscal year 2025-26, an 8.6% increase, which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed as a reflection of confidence in government policies.
- Record $41.6 billion in remittances for fiscal year 2025-26.
- Key countries contributing to Pakistan's remittance inflows.
- The economic significance of remittances for Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday hailed overseas Pakistanis after workers’ remittances surged to a record USD 41.6 billion in fiscal year 2025-26, saying the milestone reflected expatriates’ confidence in the government’s economic stewardship.
In a statement, the prime minister thanked Pakistanis living abroad for sending home USD 41.6 billion during the fiscal year, up 8.6 percent from USD 38.3 billion in 2024-25.
“Patriotic overseas Pakistanis sent USD 41.6 billion in remittances during fiscal year 2025-26, for which we are deeply grateful,” he added.
READ MORE: Pakistan registers $4.3bn in remittances for May 2026
Calling overseas Pakistanis “our valuable asset,” the prime minister said their contributions were indispensable to the country’s economy and that the nation took pride in their enduring commitment to Pakistan.
“The 8.6 percent increase in remittances reflects the confidence of overseas Pakistanis in the government’s policies,” he said, adding that protecting the welfare and interests of expatriate Pakistanis would remain the top priority for his administration.
According to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), workers’ remittances totalled USD 3.5 billion in June, up 2 percent from a year earlier but down 18.3 percent from May, reflecting a seasonal slowdown after elevated inflows in previous months.
The central bank said cumulative remittances reached to the all-time high level of USD 41.6 billion during fiscal year 2025-26, surpassing the previous year’s mark of USD 38.3 billion.
Saudi Arabia remained the largest source of remittances in June, with Pakistani workers sending home USD 829.6 million.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) followed with USD 792.2 million, while inflows from the United Kingdom totalled USD 514.9 million and those from the United States reached USD 296.8 million, according to the central bank.
Pakistan is among the world’s largest recipients of workers’ remittances, with millions of its citizens employed overseas, particularly in the Gulf.
The money they send home has long served as a crucial source of foreign exchange, helping support household incomes and cushion the country’s external finances during periods of economic strain.
Saudi Arabia, home to the largest concentration of Pakistani workers abroad, has consistently been the single biggest source of remittance inflows.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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