Islamabad:The brain drain shows no sign of slowing, as hundreds of thousands of people left the country in search of work abroad in 2025.
According to data released by the Bureau of Immigration, more than 727,000 Pakistanis migrated overseas for employment last year, broadly matching the outflow recorded in 2024 when 727,381 workers left the country.
The figures reveal that the exodus spans all skill levels. Over 400,000 unskilled and more than 200,000 skilled workers secured jobs abroad in 2025, underscoring the scale of labour migration. Saudi Arabia remained the top destination by a wide margin, absorbing the bulk of Pakistani workers.
Profession-wise, the outflow included 5,659 accountants, 3,795 doctors, 1,640 nurses, 1,725 teachers and 5,946 engineers, alongside 10,503 cooks, 163,718 drivers, 6,475 electricians and a striking 465,138 labourers.
The data also lists 12,703 technicians, 11,777 managers, 5,700 masons and 2,306 plumbers among those who left for overseas employment. A total of 18,352 highly educated professionals and 13,657 highly skilled workers moved abroad during the year.
Overall, the breakdown shows 222,171 skilled, 42,257 semi-skilled and 466,062 unskilled workers leaving the country in 2025. In terms of destinations, Saudi Arabia accounted for more than 530,000 workers, followed by Qatar (68,376), the UAE (52,664) and Bahrain (37,726). Smaller numbers headed to Kuwait, the United States, the UK, Germany, Italy, China, Japan and Romania, while only a handful migrated to countries such as South Korea.
The data highlighted a persistent reliance on overseas employment, particularly in the Gulf region, as economic pressures at home continue to push both skilled professionals and unskilled workers to seek livelihoods abroad.
