Workers’ remittances rose 8.6% to $41.6 billion in fiscal year 2025-26, while monthly inflows eased in June following a sharp hike in May, according to data issued by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday.
The central bank said overseas Pakistanis remitted $3.5 billion in June, up 2% from the same month of 2025, but 18.3% down from May. Analysts have attributed the month-on-month decline to the Eidul Azha festival, which boosted remittances in May.
Cumulatively, during FY26, overseas Pakistanis remitted $41.6 billion, 8.6% higher than the $38.3 billion of FY25.
Regionally, the highest inflows of June came from Saudi Arabia ($829.6 million), followed by the United Arab Emirates ($792.2 million), the United Kingdom ($514.9 million) and the United States ($296.8 million). The full fiscal year’s remittances exhibit a similar trend with Saudi Arabia emerging as the largest source at $9.783 billion. The U.A.E. follows with $8.807 billion; the U.K. posted $6.326 billion; and the European Union nations as a whole remitted $5.227 billion.
In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked overseas Pakistanis for sending higher remittances during FY26 as compared to FY25. He said the 8.6% increase in remittances reflected the trust of overseas Pakistanis in the government policies.
Dubbing overseas Pakistanis a valuable national asset, Sharif said that he, along with the entire nation, was proud of them, and assured that steps for their welfare were among the government’s priorities.