LAHORE: Pakistani freelancers generated a record $1.76 billion in foreign exchange during the outgoing fiscal year 2025-26, showing a 78 per cent rise from $984 million in FY25, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The SBP data showed that IT freelancers earned more than $1.16 billion in FY26, compared with $779 million in the previous fiscal year. This reflected an increase of 49 per cent, or $385 million.
Earnings from non-IT freelancers also recorded a sharp increase, rising to $592 million in FY26 from $205 million in FY25. The increase stood at 188 per cent, or $387 million, during the period.
Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA) Chairman Ibrahim Amin said freelancers were making an important contribution to the national economy by supporting key macroeconomic indicators, especially through foreign exchange earnings and tax contributions.
He said Pakistan’s freelancing community had become an important driver of economic growth, with its export earnings exceeding those of several traditional sectors in just a few years.
“Pakistani freelancers are not only improving their own livelihoods through talent and hard work, but are also contributing to the development of a more productive, skilled and digitally empowered workforce,” he said.
According to industry estimates, Pakistan has nearly three million full-time and part-time freelancers, making it the world’s fourth-largest freelancing workforce.
PAFLA President and CEO Dr Imran Batada underlined the need to broaden digital skills training programmes so that young people could acquire the skills needed to work on global freelancing and digital platforms. He said such measures would help reduce unemployment and poverty while also raising export earnings.
Dr Batada said PAFLA intended to expand free digital skills training to thousands of more young Pakistanis in the coming year, with special emphasis on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and data analytics.
“Pakistan’s skilled workforce is one of our greatest national assets,” Dr Batada said. “We are urging freelancers to think beyond individual gigs and evolve into startups or registered companies, while continuously upgrading their expertise in emerging, high-demand technologies. This is how we turn a generation of talented individuals into a lasting digital economy.”
He also appreciated the government’s continued support for the freelancing sector through favourable tax policies and various skills development and training initiatives, saying these steps would further speed up the growth of Pakistan’s digital economy.
