Remittances rise 14% to $3.9bn in October, Saudi Arabia leads

Inflows for July to October reached $14.8 billion. The State Bank now expects a record $45 billion this fiscal year.

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A dealer counts US dollar notes at a currency exchange shop
A dealer counts US dollars at a currency exchange shop in Karachi. File photo. — AFP
Listen to this articleRemittances rise 14% to $3.9bn in October, Saudi Arabia leads2 min · device voice0:00 / 1:45

— Overseas Pakistanis sent home $3.89 billion in October, 13.8 per cent more than a year earlier, taking workers’ remittances for the first four months of the fiscal year to $14.8 billion, State Bank of Pakistan data show.

October’s inflow compared with $3.42 billion in October 2025 and was 8.5 per cent higher than September’s $3.6 billion. Remittances for July to October rose 14 per cent from $13 billion in the same period last year.

Where the money came from

Saudi Arabia remained the biggest source at $982 million, up 17 per cent on a year earlier. The UAE sent $816 million, up 16 per cent, and Britain $592 million, up 19 per cent. Workers in the United States sent $329 million, 9 per cent more than a year ago, and inflows from European Union countries reached $461 million, up 3 per cent on September.

The central bank has already raised its forecast. At last month’s monetary policy press conference, Governor Jameel Ahmad said remittances had stayed resilient in the first quarter and projected $45 billion for the fiscal year, up from an earlier estimate of $44 billion.

Remittances are one of Pakistan’s biggest sources of foreign exchange, supporting the external account and household incomes as the government works to rebuild reserves and roll over its loans.

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