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Thw writer is Panel Member, UNHLP on Women’s Economic Empowerment. She tweets @Fiza_Farhan
Pakistan does not have a shortage of talent. It has a shortage of pathways through which that talent can become productive at home. It is the world’s fifth most populous country with more than 60% of citizens under 30. This youth bulge is often described as a demographic opportunity. But opportunity does not automatically translate into growth.
Pakistan’s young workforce has the potential to produce goods, add value, export services, build enterprises and deliver essential public and private services. But when the economy fails to create high-quality jobs, many young professionals are pushed to seek better opportunities abroad. This has resulted in a steady exodus of talent, commonly described as brain drain.
Brain drain means fewer doctors and nurses in underserved areas, fewer qualified teachers and researchers, and the loss of policy experts, engineers, civil servants and other skilled professionals. According to a study by PIDE, the migration rate is 71% for skilled and semi-skilled, 24% for highly skilled and 32% for highly qualified professionals.
The cost of this loss is not limited to the money spent on educating and training those who leave. It also represents the lost opportunity of converting youth dividend into domestic productivity. One estimate places Pakistan’s productivity loss from migration at $303.4 billion in 2023, even after accounting for remittances. While remittances play an important role in supporting households and easing balance-of-payments pressures, they cannot be treated as a substitute for domestic job creation, skills development and industrial growth.
This is why Pakistan must build stronger local industries and support young entrepreneurs who can create jobs, solve local problems and compete in wider markets.
Pakistan already has examples of what this potential can look like. There are start-ups focusing on: addressing the problem of high upfront education costs by offering student financing; using technology to provide Urdu-based speech therapy services; contributing to Pakistan’s EV sector; spotting local talent, improving its capacity to meet international standards and connecting it with global markets. Then there are entrepreneurs from Gilgit-Baltistan who are demonstrating how indigenous resources can be connected to international buyers through more organised, ethical value chains.
The Government of Pakistan has taken some steps towards building an incubation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Ignite, under the Ministry of IT and Telecom, has supported initiatives such as the Pakistan Startup Fund and the Challenge-Driven Innovation Fund. The Prime Minister’s Cloud Program for Startups provides subsidised cloud credits, advisory support and access to global cloud service partnerships. Jazz xlr8, operating through the National Incubation Center, has also helped selected startups access technical support, marketing expertise and international exposure.
These examples show that Pakistan’s problem is not a lack of ideas. The real challenge is that these success stories remain too isolated. The UNDP’s State of Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Pakistan report captures this problem clearly. Pakistan’s entrepreneurship ecosystem has expanded since 2012, yet rural youth, women, persons with disabilities and marginalised communities still face significant barriers. Startups require business registration, access to affordable credit, strong mentorship, digital infrastructure, market linkages, research and development support and better connections between universities, industry and investors.
Access to finance and business tools is especially important for micro, small and medium enterprises. There are startups involved in helping small businesses digitise bookkeeping, cash flow management and credit records using digital ledger tools and automated payment reminders. Such solutions can improve how small enterprises operate, but they need to be supported by broader financial inclusion.
Pakistan’s youth dividend will be realised when young people are given the skills, capital, mentorship, technology and markets needed to become productive economic actors within Pakistan. If we fail to create these pathways, the country will continue to lose the very human capital it needs for growth.
