Pakistan has emerged as one of the world’s most competitive outsourcing destinations, ranking 16th globally in the Global Outsourcing Talent Index 2026.
It outperformed 177 countries and placed itself firmly among the top tier of global digital labor markets.
The latest index compiled by Ataraxis Management evaluates nations based on talent availability, labor cost competitiveness, digital infrastructure, and English proficiency.
The findings position Pakistan as a rising technology and services hub despite some infrastructure challenges.
Pakistan possesses one of the world’s largest freelance and remote workforces, with over 85 million total individuals in the labor force and a rapidly growing professional presence of over 6 million searchable profiles on LinkedIn.
Pakistan is also ranked #67 globally in English proficiency and maintains a “Low Proficiency” status on the EF EPI. However, in urban hubs like Islamabad and Lahore, proficiency scores are significantly higher, making these cities the primary focus.
| Indicator | Pakistan Performance |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | #16 Worldwide |
| No. of Countries Outperformed | 177 |
| Global Position | Top 8.3% Globally |
| Talent Availability Score | 80 / 100 |
| Labor Cost Score | 97 / 100 |
| English Proficiency Score | 60 / 100 |
| Potential Rank with Better Infrastructure | #11 Globally |
One of the strongest highlights of the index is Pakistan’s talent availability score of 80/100, placing it alongside major developed economies, including:
This means Pakistan’s workforce capacity for high-value outsourcing work now matches some of the world’s largest industrial economies.
| Country | Talent Score |
|---|---|
| India | 100 |
| United States | 100 |
| Philippines | 90 |
| Turkey | 90 |
| Mexico | 90 |
| Brazil | 80 |
| Indonesia | 80 |
| Pakistan | 80 |
Pakistan ranks #8 globally on talent alone, ahead of every EU country, all Middle Eastern nations, and all African economies included in the index.
The Pakistani workforce is highly regarded for technical expertise and analytical tasks.
Commonly outsourced roles include
Pakistan ranks ahead of several advanced economies in outsourcing competitiveness.
| Country | Global Rank |
|---|---|
| Singapore | #177 |
| Japan | #144 |
| United States | #86 |
| South Korea | #45 |
| United Kingdom | #29 |
| Pakistan | #16 |
Pakistan ranks ahead of seven Southeast Asian countries in outsourcing competitiveness, according to the Global Outsourcing Talent Index.
It is ahead of Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, and Singapore. Only Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia rank higher.
| Country | Overall Global Rank |
|---|---|
| Philippines | #1 |
| Malaysia | #2 |
| Indonesia | #8 |
| Pakistan | #16 |
| Vietnam | #32 |
| Thailand | #57 |
| Laos | #94 |
| Myanmar | #123 |
| Cambodia | #151 |
| Timor-Leste | #156 |
| Singapore | #177 |
Pakistan achieved a labor cost score of 97/100, even higher than India’s 96/100, making it one of the most cost-efficient outsourcing destinations globally.
However, the index notes Pakistan (#16) ranks 13 places below India (#3) overall, primarily due to weaker digital infrastructure and talent scaling capacity.
Digital infrastructure includes broadband quality, internet speed, data centers, cloud access, tech ecosystem maturity and digital business readiness.
The report shows that if Pakistan’s digital infrastructure score improves from 30/100 to 50/100 (near India’s current level), the country would jump to #11 globally.
Currently, 45.7% of Pakistan’s population (approximately 116 million people) is online. While urban centers benefit from 4G/5G and fiber-optic expansion, nationwide digital penetration remains a key area for development.
The report stresses that no other Top-25 country is closer to moving into the next global tier with such a small improvement.
| Countries | Rank | Labor Cost | English Proficiency | Talent Availability | Digital Infrastructure Score | Business Stability Score | TOTAL Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | 1 | 96 | 90 | 90 | 70 | 60 | 90.65 |
| Malaysia | 2 | 92 | 90 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 85.55 |
| India | 3 | 96 | 60 | 100 | 50 | 60 | 85.4 |
| Chile | 4 | 90 | 80 | 70 | 90 | 70 | 83.5 |
| South Africa | 5 | 88 | 100 | 70 | 40 | 60 | 83.45 |
| Nigeria | 6 | 98 | 90 | 60 | 30 | 40 | 83.45 |
| Peru | 7 | 94 | 80 | 70 | 40 | 70 | 83.1 |
| Indonesia | 8 | 96 | 60 | 80 | 60 | 60 | 82.4 |
| Argentina | 9 | 91 | 90 | 60 | 70 | 50 | 82.275 |
| Romania | 10 | 87 | 100 | 60 | 40 | 70 | 81.675 |
| Kenya | 11 | 95 | 90 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 81.625 |
| Dominican Republic | 12 | 94 | 80 | 50 | 90 | 60 | 81.6 |
| Brazil | 13 | 93 | 60 | 80 | 80 | 50 | 81.325 |
| Poland | 14 | 78 | 100 | 70 | 70 | 90 | 81.2 |
| Egypt | 15 | 98 | 60 | 70 | 70 | 40 | 81.2 |
| Pakistan | 16 | 97 | 60 | 80 | 30 | 50 | 80.925 |
Pakistan’s English proficiency score of 60/100 equals both India and China, removing one of the traditional barriers to high-value outsourcing growth.
To summarize, the index reveals that Pakistan already possesses world-class talent depth. Also, costs remain among the lowest globally, and infrastructure improvements alone could help improve its rankings.
Expanding IT exports alone could rapidly transform Pakistan into a top-10 global outsourcing powerhouse.