Pakistan records $41.6 billion remittances, with a widening regional divide across provinces as migration remains key to development but leaves periphery provinces behind.

In fiscal year 2025‑26, Pakistan received $41.6 billion in remittances, an 8.6 % rise over the previous year and the first time the amount surpassed $40 billion. Saudi Arabia supplied the largest share, $829.6 million, followed by the United Arab Emirates ($792.2 million), the United Kingdom ($514.9 million) and the United States ($296.8 million). The influx is unevenly distributed. Remittances concentrate in Punjab, Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, provinces that historically have strong migrant networks. Sindh and Balochistan receive a much smaller share of the flow. The state bank does not publish a detailed breakdown, so economists use proxy data. Applied economist Dr Jazib Mumtaz estimates that about half of Pakistan’s migrants come from Punjab, a quarter from Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa, roughly 9 % from Sindh, and the remainder from other areas. If the money follows the same pattern, Punjab accounts for nearly 50 % of remittances. The imbalance reflects long‑standing differences in employment networks and access to overseas recruitment. In Punjab and Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa, successive generations of migrants have built support systems that make overseas job finding easier. In Sindh, which contains Karachi, such networks are less developed, and many residents rely on agriculture or local trade. Remittances create no foreign debt, unlike borrowing, and they remain in the country, unlike certain types of investment that can leave quickly. They represent earned savings of workers in construction sites in Riyadh, factories in Dubai, hospitals in London, and restaurants in New York. The record inflow also raises questions about how the money is spent. Much of it goes into land, houses and consumer goods, which raise living standards but do not automatically generate new jobs. Policymakers argue for better financial literacy programs and small‑business support to make remittances more productive. Pakistan’s government has highlighted the divide. In 2026, the Ministry for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development launched a national policy for 11 million overseas workers, aiming to improve safe emigration, worker protection and reintegration. The success of such a policy remains to be evaluated. A story that illustrates the human side is the case of Sardar Liaquat Khan from Rawlakot, who left his home near Banjosa Lake for Saudi Arabia in 2023. He has helped his brothers build houses and open shops, while his wife waits at home for several months for their marriage to begin. His experience is representative of many Pakistanis who leave families in search of income abroad. The overall picture shows that while remittances are a powerful economic tool, they also mirror and reinforce existing regional inequalities.