Freelancers from Pakistan make an impressive amount of $1.76 billion of foreign currency in fiscal year 2025-26. These statistics have been provided by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). It is pertinent to mention that there is an impressive 78 percent rise from last fiscal year’s $984 million.
What Caused the Phenomenal Growth
The reason behind the phenomenal growth to be recorded is due to the good performance by freelancers in both IT and non-IT export categories of freelancing. It is not based on the performance of any single category but is the result of growth in several categories of freelancing services.
The total earning through IT freelancers was more than $1.16 billion in FY26, which rose from $779 million in FY25. The percentage increase in the income was 49 percent, which resulted in an additional income of approximately $385 million from exports in comparison to the last year. IT freelancing still is the highest portion of Pakistan’s overall freelance export income because of its increasing number of IT professionals.
What Caused the Phenomenal Growth
The reason behind the phenomenal growth to be recorded is due to the good performance by freelancers in both IT and non-IT export categories of freelancing. It is not based on the performance of any single category but is the result of growth in several categories of freelancing services.
Earnings of Non-IT Freelancers Multiply Almost Threefold
One of the most impressive statistics about why Pakistani freelancers have earned record high amount of $1.76 billion relates to the tremendous expansion in the non-IT segment. Earnings from exports of non-IT freelancers almost tripled during the year, increasing to $592 million from just $205 million during the previous year.
The non-IT segment has seen an impressive rise of 188 percent, contributing almost $387 million in new export earnings and thus coming close to the dollar amount generated by the considerably larger IT segment. This indicates that the Pakistani freelancers are effectively moving into areas like content writing, digital marketing, virtual assistance, graphic design, etc.
Views from Industry Leaders
According to Chairman of Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA) Ibrahim Amin, these statistics carry a lot of weight since freelance workers are becoming an important part of developing the economy of the nation. Amin made sure to stress that apart from generating foreign currency for the nation, freelancers are helping to generate tax incomes.
Amin stressed that freelancing has become an important part of Pakistan’s exporting economy due to the fast growth and huge revenue generation that it is providing the nation with. Amin further stressed that Pakistani freelancers are not only working hard to improve their own lives but are also adding to the skilled and productive workforce of the nation.
Position of Pakistan in the Worldwide Freelance Market
As per industry reports, there are approximately three million freelancers working full-time and part-time in Pakistan; which makes it the fourth largest freelance market in the world because of the number of freelancers contributing to the country’s exports. This explains how Pakistani freelancers make $1.76 billion in a fiscal year because of the sheer number of freelancers working for export earnings from digital services.
This makes Pakistan a member of the selected list of countries that have a major contribution in terms of earning money through freelancing. This fast-paced yearly growth rate clearly indicates how there is still room left for growth in the freelance market of Pakistan.
The information about how Pakistani freelancers have generated an all-time high of $1.76 billion comes at a time when Pakistan still remains on the lookout for a variety of sources of foreign exchange for its economic stability. The income from freelance export is indeed a reliable source of income that is not dependent on any usual trading process.
With growth still evident within the realms of IT as well as non-IT freelancing, it remains to be seen if this trend continues in the coming fiscal year given the growing demand for freelance experts globally.
Nayab Fatima is a media professional specializing in fact-based journalism, research, and analytical reporting on technology, telecom, aviation, and automobiles.
