Pakistan’s ‘brain drain’ grows as thousands of doctors and engineers leave the country

Lahore: Pakistan is witnessing a sharp outflow of skilled professionals, with thousands of doctors, engineers and accountants leaving the country for work overseas amid prolonged economic stagnation and political uncertainty. The scale of the exodus has prompted criticism and online ridicule of Army Chief General Asim Munir, who earlier described overseas migration as a “brain gain”.

Official data released by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE) for 2024–25 shows that Pakistan has lost around 5,000 doctors, 11,000 engineers and 13,000 accountants in the past two years. The nursing sector has been particularly hard hit, with a steep rise in nurses seeking employment abroad, according to reports in The Express Tribune.

The figures underline a broader migration trend. In 2024 alone, 727,381 Pakistanis officially registered for overseas employment, while a further 687,246 people had left the country by the end of November 2025. Cumulatively, more than 1.5 million Pakistanis have gone abroad in the past two years.

Analysts attribute the surge in emigration to a combination of rampant inflation, weak economic growth, political instability, poor governance and limited career opportunities, particularly in technology, research and innovation. Competitive salaries and better living standards overseas have also played a significant role in drawing talent away.

Pakistan’s digital infrastructure problems have compounded the situation. A recent report identified the country as the world’s largest contributor to economic losses caused by internet shutdowns in 2024, estimating losses of $1.62 billion (over Rs 450 billion). Freelancers reported a 70 per cent decline in work opportunities due to erratic internet access, threatening millions of jobs in one of Pakistan’s key employment sectors.

By the end of 2025, thousands of Pakistani software architects and data scientists had moved to so-called “nomad hubs” in Portugal, Estonia and the UAE, remaining Pakistani citizens but contributing their skills and economic output to foreign ecosystems, as per The Express Tribune report.

As a result, Pakistan has effectively become a brain drain economy, relying on the export of the very professionals it needs for long-term development.

The latest data has revived scrutiny of remarks made by General Munir during a visit to the United States earlier this year, when he dismissed concerns about brain drain and instead termed overseas migration a “brain gain”, praising the Pakistani diaspora as a source of national pride. Following the release of the emigration figures, several social media users questioned this characterisation, pointing to the steady loss of highly qualified professionals.

The professional exodus has also triggered tighter controls at airports. In 2025, authorities offloaded more than 66,000 passengers—nearly double the number from the previous year—amid concerns over illegal migration, smuggling and organised begging. Thousands of Pakistanis have also been deported from Gulf states and other countries for immigration violations.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has since announced restrictions on so-called “professional beggars” and travellers with incomplete documentation. However, the continuing departure of doctors, engineers and other white-collar professionals has fuelled public frustration, with critics arguing that official rhetoric is increasingly at odds with the reality reflected in government data.