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Pakistan’s 2024–25 Emigration Data Shows Major Loss of Skilled Workers as Munir’s ‘Brain Gain’ Draws Ridicule

Official tallies reinforce that Pakistan’s talent outflow is accelerating as domestic conditions deteriorate.

Overview

  • BE&OE data lists 727,381 official overseas employment registrations in 2024 and 687,246 departures by end‑November 2025, with the two‑year outflow expected to top 1.5 million.
  • Over the past 24 months, Pakistan lost roughly 5,000 doctors, 11,000 engineers and 13,000 accountants, while reporting a 2,144% rise in nurse migration since 2011.
  • Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s description of migration as a “brain gain” drew widespread online derision after the latest figures surfaced.
  • The FIA told parliament it offloaded 66,154 travelers from airports in 2025, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a review of offloading practices following profiling complaints.
  • A Top10VPN report estimated $1.62 billion in 2024 losses from nearly 9,735 hours of internet disruptions, with freelancers reporting a 70% drop in work opportunities.