Pakistan BPO exports crossed $322 million in the first eleven months of FY2025-26, growing 19% year-on-year, as AI-powered automation gives Pakistani call centres a sharper edge in global markets. This is not just a line in a quarterly report. It signals a real structural shift in how Pakistan earns foreign exchange from services, and how the BPO sub-sector is quietly becoming a pillar of the country’s tech economy.
Pakistan BPO Exports Hit $322M in FY2025-26
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data shows that call centre and BPO earnings hit $322 million between July 2025 and May 2026. That is an extra $53 million compared to the same period last year. The 19% growth rate holds up even against a tough global economic backdrop, and it puts the full-year figure on track to comfortably beat the $328 million the sector recorded in all of FY2024-25.
To put the number in context, Pakistan’s total IT and telecom services exports reached $4.18 billion in the same eleven-month window, up around 20% year-on-year. The BPO and call centre segment is a smaller slice, but it is one of the fastest-moving parts of the wider IT export story, and it is the one most directly being reshaped by AI right now.
What AI Is Actually Doing Inside Pakistani Call Centres
When people hear ‘AI in call centres’, they often picture robots replacing agents. The reality on the ground in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad is more nuanced. AI tools are being layered onto existing operations to handle repetitive work, not to clear out entire floors of staff.
Specifically, AI-powered tools are helping Pakistani BPO companies automate routine tasks, cut response times, read customer behaviour patterns, and run multilingual support around the clock. A caller in Berlin at 2am can get a consistent, fast reply from a Pakistani provider whose AI systems never sleep. That kind of capability narrows the gap between Pakistan and older outsourcing hubs like India or the Philippines, where labour costs have risen sharply.
Industry voices say AI is doing something else important: it is making it easier to serve higher-value clients. Global buyers are no longer just looking for cheap seats. They want partners who use intelligent automation, data analytics, and AI-assisted engagement. Pakistani firms that have invested in these tools are winning contracts they would not have won three years ago.
Who Is Buying from Pakistani BPOs?
The client map is broader than most people realise. Pakistan’s call centre sector has active business across the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UAE. Around 90% of Pakistan’s registered call centres and BPO companies serve overseas clients, earning foreign exchange rather than rupees.
The sector directly employs over one million people and runs through more than 1,000 call centres registered with the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), plus hundreds of smaller independent operations. Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad handle the bulk of the work, but smaller hubs are growing as fibre and 4G coverage expands beyond the major cities.
Pakistan’s Cost Edge Still Holds
One core reason global companies keep routing work to Pakistan is price. Pakistani BPO providers can deliver services at 60 to 70% lower cost compared to running equivalent operations in the United States or the United Kingdom. That gap has not closed as dramatically as it has in some competing countries, partly because Pakistan’s rupee remains weak against major currencies, which keeps local operating costs attractive for dollar-paying clients.
Beyond cost, Pakistan ranks inside the top ten countries globally by English-speaking population size, which matters enormously for customer support and back-office roles. A young workforce, the median age in Pakistan is under 25, means the pipeline of trainable talent is deep.
The BPO Market Could Reach $1.23 Billion by 2030
The numbers get more interesting when you look ahead. Statista projects Pakistan’s BPO market revenue could hit $970 million in 2025 as a whole, and could grow to $1.23 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 4.78%. That projection was made before the current AI-driven growth wave fully took shape, so the upside could be higher if Pakistani firms continue to move up the value chain.
The government has also put real policy weight behind IT services. Pakistan’s FY2026 budget extended the 0.25% final tax rate on IT export earnings through June 2029, removing the year-by-year uncertainty that had made long-term planning hard. The budget also cut advance tax on foreign payments from 5% to 0.5%, which directly helps smaller BPO firms and freelancers who receive regular international transfers. The government’s stated target is $15 billion in total IT exports by 2030, a figure that would require BPO to punch well above its current weight.
Pakistan’s AI policy direction is also relevant here. Pakistan’s National AI Policy 2025 outlines a framework for AI adoption across industries, and BPO is one of the sectors most likely to benefit from any serious implementation.
The Challenges Pakistan Must Fix
None of this means the road ahead is easy. Industry leaders are clear-eyed about the gaps. Reliable, high-speed internet outside major urban centres remains a problem. Power cuts still disrupt operations in ways that frustrate international clients. AI skills training needs to scale up fast if Pakistan wants to stay ahead of AI adoption rather than being replaced by it.
There is also a reputational challenge. Fraudulent call centre operations, the so-called ‘Dabba scam’ schemes that target international clients, have drawn negative attention to Pakistan’s BPO sector. Industry bodies like P@SHA have pushed hard to distance legitimate operators from these bad actors, but it remains a trust issue that the sector has to keep managing.
The path forward, according to sector leaders, runs through three priorities: deeper AI investment inside firms, stronger digital infrastructure from the government, and an active international marketing push to tell Pakistan’s legitimate BPO story to new client markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Pakistan earn from BPO exports in FY2025-26?
Pakistan’s BPO and call centre exports reached $322 million between July 2025 and May 2026, based on State Bank of Pakistan data. That is a 19% increase compared to the same period in FY2024-25.
Why are Pakistani call centres growing so fast?
Three main reasons: AI tools that improve efficiency and service quality, a large and affordable English-speaking workforce, and government tax incentives that make it easier for international clients to work with Pakistani firms. The 60-70% cost advantage over Western markets also remains a strong pull factor.
Which countries are the biggest clients for Pakistan’s BPO sector?
The United States is the largest single client market, followed by Gulf countries (especially the UAE), and European markets including Germany, Spain, and Italy. Around 90% of Pakistan’s registered call centres and BPO companies work with overseas clients.
Does AI threaten jobs in Pakistan’s call centres?
Not in the near term. AI is currently being used inside Pakistani call centres to automate routine and repetitive tasks, which actually helps companies bid for and win bigger contracts. This keeps overall employment growing. The sector employs over one million people today. The long-term picture depends on how quickly the workforce can upskill alongside AI tools, which is why training investment is critical.
