ISLAMABAD

Pakistan’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector posted robust growth during the current fiscal year, with exports rising 19.7 percent to reach $3.38 billion, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26, underscoring the sector’s growing role in the national economy.

The survey revealed that the IT and ICT industry generated a trade surplus of $2.91 billion during July–March FY2026, accounting for an impressive 86 percent of total ICT export earnings, reflecting the sector’s strong export-oriented performance.

A key contributor to this growth was Pakistan’s rapidly expanding freelance economy. Remittances earned by freelancers jumped 51 percent to $856.3 million, highlighting the increasing global demand for services provided by Pakistani digital professionals. The survey noted that freelancers have emerged as a major source of foreign exchange earnings, strengthening the country’s digital exports and international competitiveness.

The government’s focus on digital skills development also showed significant progress. Under the DigiSkills programme, more than 5.14 million training opportunities were provided during July–March FY2026. Around 70 percent of trainees were male and 30 percent female, reflecting continued efforts to build a technology-enabled workforce and expand access to global employment opportunities.

Meanwhile, Pakistan achieved a major milestone in telecommunications with the successful completion of its 5G spectrum auction on March 10, 2026, generating approximately $509.6 million (Rs142.6 billion) in revenue. Industry experts believe the rollout of 5G services will accelerate the development of advanced digital infrastructure and unlock new opportunities in emerging technologies.

The telecom sector also maintained strong financial performance, generating Rs837 billion in revenue during the first nine months of FY2026. By March 2026, the country’s combined mobile and fixed-line subscriber base had reached 207.2 million users, while the industry contributed Rs285 billion to the national exchequer through taxes and duties.

The Economic Survey findings reinforce Pakistan’s growing position as a regional digital economy player, driven by rising ICT exports, a thriving freelance workforce, expanding connectivity, and continued investment in next-generation technologies.