Pakistan’s dollar engine

Pakistan recorded its highest-ever monthly IT exports of $437 million in December 2025, up 26 percent year-on-year. Ten years ago, Pakistan’s annual IT exports stood at $789 million. From under $1 billion a year to over $400 million a month — this is not ordinary growth. This is acceleration: a compounded annual growth rate of roughly 21 percent over ten years. The arithmetic: No sector in Pakistan has compounded at 21 percent a year for a decade. IT has. IT is different. A textile exporter needs cotton, energy, dyes, machines, warehouses, ports, shipping and working capital. A software exporter needs skill, broadband, electricity, a laptop and trust. IT is youth-driven. IT is exportable, scalable, dollar-earning and IT can grow without waiting for a port, mine, pipeline or industrial estate. Imagine: Pakistan’s new export does not need a port, a ship, a container or a customs gate – all it needs is a laptop, broadband, skill and trust. A coder in Lahore can earn dollars without importing furnace oil. A freelancer in Faisalabad can export design without needing a container. A software firm in Karachi can sell services without waiting at a port. A game developer in Islamabad can enter a global market without asking for a subsidy. India’s IT exports are at over $200 billion, while Pakistan’s are still around $5 billion. Yes, that gap is large – but the gap is also the opportunity. Pakistan does not need to become India overnight. Pakistan only needs to double from $5 billion to $10 billion, then to $20 billion. The pattern is clear: At $10 billion, IT becomes a macroeconomic stabiliser. At $15 billion, it becomes a current-account anchor. At $20 billion, it becomes a national strategy. Pakistan’s IT exports are bound to rise to $20 billion because the world is buying more software, cloud services, cybersecurity, AI support, back-office automation, fintech, gaming, data analytics and outsourcing. The global IT services outsourcing market is projected at around $462 bil