ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s information technology (IT) exports exceeded $1 billion in a single quarter for the first time, marking a major milestone for the South Asian country’s digital economy, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday.
In the first quarter of the 2025–26 fiscal year, IT exports surged to a record $1.057 billion—showing a 20% increase compared to the same period last year. Between July and September, exports rose from $877 million to $1.057 billion, highlighting the sector’s strong growth momentum.
Officials credited the achievement to the growing presence of Pakistani IT firms in Gulf and European markets, supported by pro-business government policies and initiatives under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
The SBP also reported that in September 2025 alone, monthly IT exports reached an all-time high of $366 million.
Industry analysts noted that the rising global demand is being driven by Pakistani companies focusing on enterprise resource planning (ERP), automation, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions.
Freelancers from Pakistan are also playing a major role, earning valuable foreign exchange by completing international projects through major global platforms.
The training of young IT professionals and institutional capacity-building programmes are creating new employment opportunities and helping sustain export growth.
Building on the strong first-quarter performance, Pakistan’s total IT exports are now projected to surpass $4 billion by the end of the fiscal year. The government’s ambitious $5 billion target under the “Uraan Pakistan” initiative is increasingly seen as within reach.
In parallel with the surge in IT exports, Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves also showed improvement. As of August 29, total reserves rose by $38.7 million, reaching $19.65 billion on a weekly basis.
According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), reserves held by the central bank increased by $28 million to $14.3 billion. Meanwhile, net foreign reserves held by commercial banks rose by $13.5 million, bringing the total to $5.35 billion.
“During the week ended on 29-Aug-2025, SBP reserves increased by US$28 million to US$14,302.5 million,” it said.
