Pakistan IT exports hit $435 million in September, $2 million short of the monthly record

Pakistan's IT exports reached $435 million in September 2026, the second-highest monthly figure on record, Khurram Schehzad, adviser to the finance minister, said on Friday, as reported by Business Recorder. The record remains $437 million, set in December 2025.

The numbers

• September 2026: $435 million
• Change on August: up 10%
• Change on September 2025: up 18%
• July to September (Q1 FY27): $1.25 billion, up about 18% on the same quarter last year

Schehzad credited the incentives for exporters and the IT sector in the FY27 budget and a growing digital economy, and said the earnings support non-debt foreign exchange inflows and high-value jobs.

Why it matters

IT and tech services are one of the few export lines growing in double digits while the import bill rises. The same day, the State Bank's balance of payments data showed a $356 million current account deficit for September as imports climbed (our story). Every extra dollar earned by software houses, call centres and freelancers eases that gap without new borrowing, and helps hold the rupee: follow the daily rate on our dollar rate page.

At $1.25 billion a quarter, the sector is running at an annual pace of about $5 billion.

What it means for freelancers and IT workers

• Work out your tax. Freelancers paid from abroad can estimate what they owe with the freelancer tax calculator.
• Check your salary after tax. If you are employed at a software house, the income tax calculator gives your monthly take-home pay for 2026-27.
• Converting dollars: run the amount through the currency converter before you choose when to encash.

What to watch

The October figure will show whether the sector can pass the December 2025 record. Business Recorder's report did not give a breakdown between computer services, call centres and freelancers; the State Bank's monthly services trade data carries that split.