Pakistan received a record $41.6 billion [1] in workers' remittances during the 2025-26 fiscal year.
This surge in foreign currency provides a critical buffer for the nation's struggling economy and suggests a shift in how expatriates view the country's financial stability.
The State Bank of Pakistan said the total for the fiscal year, which ran from July 2025 to June 2026, represents an 8.6 percent [2] increase over the previous year. In the prior fiscal year of 2024-25, the country received $38.3 billion [1] in remittances.
The growth was capped by a strong finish to the cycle, with $3.5 billion [1] arriving in June 2026 alone. Reports said the primary drivers of these inflows were overseas Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates [3].
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the increase reflects the confidence of expatriate Pakistanis in the government's economic policies [4].
The influx of these funds is essential for maintaining foreign exchange reserves and supporting the national balance of payments. By utilizing formal banking channels, these remitters help the government stabilize the local currency against the U.S. dollar.
“Pakistan received a record $41.6 billion in workers' remittances during the 2025-26 fiscal year.”
The record growth in remittances indicates a strengthening of formal financial channels over informal 'hundi' or 'hawala' systems. For a country frequently facing liquidity crises and relying on international loans, the 8.6% increase in private inflows reduces the immediate pressure on the state to secure emergency external financing.
