ISLAMABAD

The government has decided to carry out Pakistan’s first-ever nationwide IT census, aiming to compile comprehensive data on the country’s rapidly growing digital workforce, officials said.

The initiative will be conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication Pakistan, marking a significant step toward evidence-based policymaking in the technology sector.

Officials said the primary objective of the census is to gather detailed information on the digital skills of Pakistan’s youth, alongside mapping the size and scope of the IT workforce across the country.

The exercise will include a wide range of professionals such as freelancers, video editors, and call center employees—many of whom operate in the informal economy and have previously remained outside official datasets.

“For the first time, informal IT labor will be documented at the national level,” officials noted, adding that the skills of individuals working in call centers and remote services will also be assessed.

Authorities believe the data will help improve access to international job markets for Pakistani IT professionals, while also enabling targeted policy interventions to support industry growth.

The move is expected to provide reliable and comprehensive statistics on the IT sector—something policymakers and industry stakeholders have long lacked.

Officials further said that between 180 to 200 enumerators will be hired to carry out the survey, with all project costs to be covered by the Ministry of IT.

Experts view the initiative as a critical step toward strengthening Pakistan’s digital economy, as accurate workforce data is likely to guide future investments, training programs, and export-oriented strategies in the IT sector.