Pakistan is one of the largest populous countries in the world and also has the record of being one of the most important countries in the world with people living in abroad. The term overseas Pakistanis refer for those Pakistanis who are living outside of Pakistan means in any other country. This term also includes those Pakistani citizens as well who have permanently migrated to another country and also refer to those people born abroad of Pakistani descent.
According to Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, about 7.6 million Pakistanis are living abroad with a massive population living in the Middle East especially Saudi Arabia. In European countries, the United Kingdom is the leading country where most of the overseas Pakistanis are living. Approximately Rs. 2000 billion per year sent by these in the shape of remittance.
Here is the list of the population of overseas Pakistanis according to the statistics by the United Nations and Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.
CountrySaudi Arabia | Number of People1,900,000 |
| United Kingdom | 1,510,836 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,200,000 |
| United States | 918,769 |
| Oman | 235,000 |
| France | 165,000 |
| Canada | 155,310 |
| Kuwait | 117,544 |
| Qatar | 115,000 |
| Bahrain | 112,000 |
| Malaysia | 110,000 |
| Italy | 110,000 |
| South Africa | 100,000 |
| Greece | 90,000 |
| Spain | 81,413 |
| Germany | 72,000 |
| Afghanistan | 70,000 |
| Thailand | 65,500 |
| Australia | 60,000 |
| Norway | 42,000 |
The matters of overseas Pakistanis are being regulated by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. Total overseas Pakistanis living in other countries represent the 4% of the total population of the country. For these Pakistanis, special Pakistan Origin Card or POC is issued by the NADRA. However, these cards are not issued to those with dual nationalities. During the 1970s and 1980s, millions of Pakistanis immigrated to other countries and permanently settled there. Now the ration of immigration is decreasing considerably due to bans and visa restrictions imposed by the most of the countries. Now it’s hard to get the residential visa for most of the European countries. However, work permit or education visa can be obtained after following proper procedure.
