KARACHI: IT freelancers earned $959 million in foreign exchange during the first 10 months of the fiscal year 2026, up 49 per cent from a year earlier, official data showed, reflecting the swift expansion of the nation’s digital economy and online workforce.
The export earnings generated through freelancing in the computer and information services sector have already surpassed the full-year FY25 total of $779 million.
“The strong growth in freelancer inflows is primarily driven by the State Bank of Pakistan’s facilitative measures for freelancers, including easier account opening procedures and higher foreign currency retention limits for freelancers and exporters,” said Topline Securities in a post on the social media platform X on Saturday, citing the SBP data.
“In addition, the government’s reduced tax rate of 0.25 per cent for registered freelancers has encouraged remittances through formal channels and improved documentation of IT export earnings,” it added.
Dr Imran Batada, the newly appointed president and CEO of the Pakistan Freelancers Association, said the growth in freelancers’ income was driven by the increasing participation of Pakistani freelancers on various freelancing platforms, including Upwork, Fiverr, and social media.
Pakistan’s freelancing community is estimated at around three million people, and this number should continue to grow in a structured manner through collaboration among the government, banking companies, and other stakeholders, Batada added.
The income figures for freelancers in the IT sector have been released alongside recommendations from the Pakistan IT Industry Association (P@SHA) for the federal budget 2026-27. The association has proposed that to provide stability and confidence to the industry, the existing 0.25 per cent final tax regime for IT exporters and genuine freelancers should be maintained for a period of 10 years.
In a statement, P@SHA said this policy continuity is essential to attract global business, secure foreign exchange inflows, and empower the registered corporate entities that serve as the primary engines of Pakistan’s technological and economic advancement. A central pillar of P@SHA’s budgetary framework is the critical need to distinguish between genuine, project-based freelancers and full-time remote employees working for overseas entities, it added.
