Pakistani freelancers earn $352 million in July-August 2026, up 44% year on year

Pakistani freelancers brought in $352 million in July and August 2026, the first two months of FY2026-27, according to State Bank of Pakistan data reported on 17 September. That is 44% more than the $244 million earned in the same two months last year. At today's rate of Rs 277.51 to the dollar, it comes to about Rs 97.7 billion.

The numbers

The two categories add up to $351 million; the $1 million gap is rounding in the published figures.

July alone brought in $175.44 million, up 45.5% from $120.56 million in July 2025, Business Recorder reported from the SBP data. That month, IT services earned $106.78 million and non-IT services $68.66 million.

Subtracting July from the two-month total puts August at roughly $177 million, about 43% more than the roughly $123 million implied for August 2025. These August figures are our own calculation from the published totals, not a separate SBP release.

In rupees

At Rs 277.51 per dollar:

• Two-month total: about Rs 97.7 billion
• IT-related work: about Rs 58.8 billion
• Non-IT work: about Rs 38.6 billion
• July alone: about Rs 48.7 billion

What is driving it

Ibrahim Amin, chairman of the Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), said freelancers are growing their presence on international platforms and picking up skills that are in demand worldwide, especially artificial intelligence tools. That was reported by ProPakistani and Bloom Pakistan. PAFLA estimates about 3 million Pakistanis provide digital services abroad. It projects freelance earnings could reach $2.5 billion by the end of FY2026-27.

For comparison, PAFLA said freelancers earned about $1.7 billion in FY2025-26, according to Business Recorder. Hitting $2.5 billion would take about $215 million a month for the remaining 10 months. July and August averaged about $176 million a month, so earnings would need to grow faster still to meet that target.

Why it matters

Freelance dollars come in through banks as export earnings, which supports the current account and the rupee. The current account deficit was just $98 million in August. Every dollar earned from Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar or a smaller city helps pay the country's import bill.

What freelancers should do

• Get paid through a bank channel. Payments that arrive as recorded export proceeds are the ones counted in these figures, and they give you proof of foreign income when you file your return.
• Check your tax. Work out what you owe on foreign earnings with our freelancer tax calculator.
• Watch the exchange rate. Your rupee income moves with the dollar; track it on the USD/PKR page or convert with the currency converter.
• Starting out? Our guide to earning money online in Pakistan covers platforms that pay in rupees.