Pakistan’s exports of telecommunications, computer and information services reached USD 4.60 billion in FY2025-26 (July 2025 to June 2026), up 20.4 percent from USD 3.82 billion the year before, according to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) balance of payments data. The sector now accounts for 45.9 percent of the country’s USD 10.02 billion in services exports.
What is exported
| Service line, FY2025-26 | USD million | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Software consultancy services | 1,277.2 | +15.3% |
| Freelance computer and information services | 1,164.8 | +49.4% |
| Other computer services | 793.7 | +5.1% |
| Export of computer software | 652.7 | +9.9% |
| Call centres | 392.2 | +19.0% |
| Telecommunication services | 305.8 | +36.3% |
Freelance computer services contributed almost half of the year’s USD 780 million increase. Including freelance services recorded outside the IT category, freelance receipts totalled about USD 1.76 billion, which reconciles the different figures reported in the media.
Where it goes
The United States accounted for 56.4 percent of receipts (USD 2.59 billion). The Gulf Cooperation Council economies together accounted for 14.3 percent and grew 38.7 percent, almost twice as fast as US receipts. The United Kingdom, the third-largest single market at USD 303 million, was flat. Country attribution reflects where payments originate in banking records, which may differ from the location of the end client.
Policy conditions
- PSEB-registered exporters pay a 0.25 percent final tax on export proceeds, extended by the Finance Act 2026 to tax year 2029.
- IT exporters may retain up to 50 percent of proceeds in foreign currency accounts; freelancers may retain 50 percent or USD 5,000 per month, whichever is higher (SBP, October 2023).
What it means
The sector is large, growing and supported by stable policy to 2029, but it is concentrated on one market and increasingly fragmented between firms and individual freelancers. Buyers and investors should plan supplier due diligence and market exposure with both features in mind.
Sources
- State Bank of Pakistan, Trade in Services (EBOPS 2010) quarterly archive, and Export of Services by Country/Category, retrieved 3 October 2026.
- KPMG Taseer Hadi & Co., A Brief of Finance Act, 2026 (July 2026).
- State Bank of Pakistan, press release of 23 October 2023 on measures for IT exporters and freelancers.
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