Pakistan Services Exports Cross $10B in FY26

Pakistan's earnings from foreign service trade expanded dramatically over the past financial year, crossing the ten-billion-dollar milestone as strong global demand for local technology expertise buoyed overall receipts. Official figures show that the service sector consistently outpaced traditional merchandise sales, providing a crucial buffer for the nation's balance of payments despite broader economic headwinds.

Data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics indicates that overall exports of services surged by nearly 19 percent in FY26 to reach $10.04 billion, compared to $8.45 billion recorded during the previous fiscal year. In domestic currency terms, the growth was even more pronounced, with total earnings expanding past Rs2.81 trillion from Rs2.35 trillion in FY25.

The momentum peaked towards the tail end of the fiscal period, highlighted by a sharp jump in June receipts. Foreign exchange generated from services jumped over 37 percent month-on-month in June to hit $955.91 million, up significantly from the $696.60 million recorded during the same period a year earlier.

This upward trajectory was primarily spearheaded by robust momentum within the technology domain, specifically telecommunications, software development, and information processing services. Tech-driven receipts remained the single largest driver of the trade balance improvement throughout 2025-26, outpacing more volatile traditional industrial and agricultural exports.

Meanwhile, country imports of foreign services also registered an upward trend, though at a considerably milder pace. Driven predominantly by higher expenditure on overseas travel and international logistics, service imports grew by 5.6 percent to touch $11.9 billion for the full fiscal year.