Export proceeds averaged $15.9 million per day in April; Steady gains driven by global client expansion and regulatory support boost sector’s outlook toward $10 billion export target by 2029
Pakistan’s information technology (IT) exports reached $317 million in April 2025, marking a 2% year-on-year increase, according to the recent data. While the figure represents a 7% decline compared to the previous month, it remains above the average monthly export value of $314 million over the past year.
This marks the 19th consecutive month of year-on-year growth in IT exports, beginning in October 2023.
The export proceeds averaged $15.9 million per day in April, down from $18 million in March. Over the first ten months of the current fiscal year (10MFY25), Pakistan’s IT exports totaled $3.1 billion, showing a 21% rise compared to the same period last year.
Several factors contributed to this growth, including an expanding client base in key markets like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Additionally, regulatory changes by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) played a role. The SBP increased the permissible retention limit in Exporters’ Specialized Foreign Currency Accounts from 35% to 50%, allowed equity investment abroad using funds from these accounts, and the relative stability of the Pakistani rupee encouraged exporters to repatriate a larger share of their earnings.
According to Topline Pakistan Research, leading Pakistani IT firms have actively engaged with international markets, recently participating in major industry events such as LEAP 2025 in Saudi Arabia and the Web Summit in Qatar.
According to a survey by the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), 62% of IT companies currently maintain specialized foreign currency accounts, enabling them to leverage these new investment opportunities.
A notable development this fiscal year is the introduction of a new Equity Investment Abroad (EIA) category by the SBP, allowing export-oriented IT companies to acquire equity stakes overseas using up to half of their specialized foreign currency account proceeds. This initiative is expected to further boost confidence in repatriating export earnings.
Net IT exports (exports minus imports) stood at $288 million in April, up 2% year-on-year but down 7% month-on-month. This figure also surpasses the 12-month average of $272 million.
Industry analysts remain optimistic about the sector’s trajectory, forecasting a growth rate between 10% and 15% for the full fiscal year 2025, which could lift total IT exports to between $3.5 billion and $3.7 billion.
Under the government’s ‘Uraan Pakistan’ national economic plan, the IT export target is set at $10 billion by fiscal year 2029, implying a compound annual growth rate of 28%.
