Pakistan IT Export Cross $400mn in July, Up 18% YoY

Pakistan's exports of telecoms, computers, and information services grew by approximately 18 percent year-over-year to reach $417 million in July 2026, as per the latest figures released by the State Bank of Pakistan on Tuesday. This is the fourth consecutive year that Pakistan IT exports have witnessed robust growth rates, highlighting the strong momentum of tech-based export revenues in Pakistan.

A Sharp Rise in Pakistan IT export From Last Year

Pakistan’s IT exports reached $354 million in July 2025, indicating an increase of $63 million in Pakistan’s IT exports receipts for the current fiscal year. It demonstrates how much the IT and digital services industry is contributing to the external sector of Pakistan, making technology exports one of the important elements of Pakistan’s overall trade performance.

For the year ending July 31, exports of telecom, computer, and information services rose to $4.6 billion in FY2025-26, up from $3.814 billion in FY2024-25—a growth rate of approximately 21%. Such consistent yearly growth trends imply that these numbers reflect a larger upward trend and are not simply due to a one-off spike.

Based on the available statistics, Pakistan's IT sector continued to be the major source of exports under services for FY2025-26. The total value of services exports amounted to $10.02 billion, up from $8.45 billion registered in the preceding fiscal period. As part of overall services, transport services stood at $916 million, travel services at $1.116 billion, and other business services at $2.155 billion for the mentioned period.

The government of Pakistan has embarked on initiatives aimed at boosting digital exports by enhancing broadband internet access, encouraging freelance work, and supporting the export industry. The exports of services have surged to $927 million in July 2026 from $728 million in July 2025, indicating growth of about 27%.

The July 2026 figures indicate that the government's efforts have started showing results, marking an excellent beginning for Pakistan's next fiscal year in terms of services exports.

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In conversation with the correspondent, Dr Noman Saeed, the CEO of SI Global Solutions, predicted accelerated growth in the IT industry in the coming years, which will be enabled through the adoption of consistent government policies to help IT exporters generate foreign currency. According to him, it is necessary for the key players of the IT industry to devise an aggressive export policy to meet the $10 billion export target that the government aims to accomplish through its initiative known as Uraan by FY2028-29.

"This objective is quite challenging and requires a lot of effort on part of all stakeholders to boost the performance of Pakistan's IT industry. In my opinion, the objective can indeed be achieved within the set timeframe, provided we make sincere efforts. All stakeholders must strive hard to build capacity within the IT industry by addressing its weaknesses on the domestic front," he added.

CEO of Hexalyze, Saad Shah, said the IT exporting industry must pivot towards targeting high-value projects, especially within fields such as cybersecurity, machine learning, AI automation, and enterprises. The Pakistani IT industry, along with freelancers, continues to be involved mostly in low-value assignments, he added.

However, partnering with both domestic and foreign businesses will help IT organizations develop their skills set as well as earn better revenues through exports, he emphasized.

Ibrahim Amin, who serves as Chairman of the Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), mentioned that the number of freelancers and digital professionals in Pakistan is growing steadily due to greater awareness about changing global workforce dynamics. He stated that freelancers in Pakistan are adding significantly to the nation's foreign exchange reserves through their efforts, thus making them deserving of recognition at the national level in order to motivate students and aspiring freelancers to choose freelancing as a profession.

Furthermore, he has urged the government to devise a separate funding scheme along with tax incentives in order to encourage freelancers to embark upon entrepreneurial ventures and develop smaller firms within the country.

It may be recalled that the government has previously allowed an extension of 0.25 percent taxes for registered IT firms and freelancers to encourage growth within the industry.

In light of the rising revenues earned through IT exports by Pakistan, participating in significant international technology exhibitions, particularly those held in Europe and the US with the help of the government, would remain crucial in helping the sector find new customers and enter newer markets around the world.