Pakistan’s IT Exports Hit $435 Million in September 2026 — Second-Highest Ever

Pakistan’s IT exports hit $435 million in September 2026 — the second-highest monthly figure ever recorded, just behind the $437 million of December 2025. The data was announced on Friday, October 16, 2026 by Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad. Exports were up 19% year-on-year on State Bank data and 10% month-on-month, freelancers posted a record $197 million, and the first quarter of FY27 closed at $1.25 billion. Why this matters for Pakistan’s economy — and what comes next — is all below.

IT exports September 2026: the headline numbers

According to the data released on October 16, Pakistan’s IT and IT-enabled services exports in September 2026 came in at $435 million. That makes it the second-highest month in Pakistan’s history, beaten only by $437 million in December 2025 — a gap of just $2 million, or less than half a percent. In other words, September nearly set a brand-new all-time record.

A small note on the numbers: State Bank-sourced reporting (ProPakistani, Daily Pakistan) puts the year-on-year growth at 19%, while Adviser Khurram Schehzad’s own announcement put the YoY figure at 18%. The headline $435 million is consistent across all outlets — the one-point difference is just rounding in the growth calculation.

Freelancers: the quiet engine at $197 million

The standout story inside the numbers is freelancing. Individual Pakistani freelancers remitted a record $197 million in September 2026 alone — up a remarkable 49% year-on-year and 11% month-on-month. For the quarter (Jul–Sep), freelancers pulled in roughly $550 million, up about 46% on last year.

Easier repatriation rules, dollar retention accounts and growing global demand for affordable development, design and content work have all fed the surge. Nearly half of one month’s IT exports now coming from individual freelancers is a structural shift, not a blip.

Q1 FY27 and the 12-month trend

The first quarter of FY27 (July–September 2026) brought in $1.25 billion in IT exports, up around 18% year-on-year. On a trailing-twelve-month basis, IT exports have crossed $4.8 billion — up 20% from $4 billion a year earlier.

Net IT exports stood at $364 million in September, up 10% YoY. Topline Securities noted that part of the month-on-month jump reflects simply more working days in September — a reminder to read single-month figures with a calendar in hand, even when the direction is unmistakably up.

IT now drives nearly half of services exports

Here is the stat that shows how central tech has become: IT services plus freelancers now account for more than 45% of Pakistan’s services exports. In Q1 FY27, that meant roughly $1.246 billion of the total, up about 17% year-on-year. Total services exports for the quarter reached $2.719 billion (+22%).

The $10 billion target: Uraan Pakistan

The government has set an ambitious goal under its Uraan Pakistan economic plan: $10 billion in annual IT exports by FY29. The September number shows why the target is being taken seriously — at the current run rate (roughly $4.8 billion over the trailing 12 months), Pakistan needs to more than double exports in about three years.

What this means for the economy

Exports are Pakistan’s perennial weak point, so a sector growing at 18–20% with near-zero import intensity is genuinely valuable. IT exports earn foreign exchange without the heavy import bills that come with manufacturing, and the freelancer channel spreads those earnings across hundreds of thousands of households rather than a handful of big firms.

Combined with goods exports crossing $3 billion for the first time in 20 months, September 2026 was one of the strongest export months Pakistan has had in recent memory. The December 2025 record of $437 million is now within striking distance.

By Fatima Raza · Technology Correspondent · Updated October 17, 2026