According to a report published by Express Tribune, 765,000 Pakistanis left the country in 2022, nearly triple the 225,000 departures in 2021. This included 92,000 highly-educated people such as doctors, engineers, information technology experts and accountants. Documents referred in the report say that during 2022, approximately 350,000 trained workers also left Pakistan in search of employment in other countries.
The trend indicates a loss of general confidence in the country, mainly because of uncertain economic conditions, shrinking job opportunities, political uncertainty and social polarization. More than half of those leaving the country were from Punjab. An overwhelming majority of emigrants (736,000 of 765,000) left for Gulf states, mainly Saudi Arabia and UAE.
As per the report, official statistics point to more and more young, highly educated Pakistanis choosing to travel to Europe, the US, and even parts of Africa, in search of better educational and professional opportunities.