MigrantoMigration trends in Pakistan
Asia
Pakistan loses more people than it takes in: 6.9M emigrants against 3.5M immigrants. Net balance −3.4M — 1% of the country's population
251.3M
Population
3.5M
Immigrants
6.9M
Emigrants
−3.4M
Outflow
1 in 71 residents of Pakistan was born abroad — and 1 in 37 people born in Pakistan lives abroad
#11 in the world by net migration loss
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Pakistan
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
6.2M immigrants · 3.1M emigrants
1995
- India overtook Afghanistan as the largest source of new arrivals
- Immigration contracted — the foreign-born population fell 41%
- Immigration from Afghanistan declined sharply — 2.1M fewer migrants from there
- The gap between arrivals and departures was cut in half
2005
- Slipped out of the world's 10 biggest immigrant destinations
- The country became a place of departure — more people leaving than arriving
- Immigration contracted — the foreign-born population fell 24%
2010
- Joined the world's 10 largest diasporas
- Afghanistan overtook India as the largest source of new arrivals
- Saudi Arabia replaced India as the main destination for those leaving
2015
- Surge of departures to Afghanistan — 220.4K people left
- The diaspora passed 5M people
- The outflow deepened — net losses doubled to 2.8M
2020
- Slipped out of the 3 biggest immigrant destinations in Asia
Today
- Slipped out of the world's 10 largest diasporas
- Since 1990: 2.7M fewer foreign-born residents and 3.8M more emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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