Remittances October 2026: overseas Pakistanis send $3.9bn, up 13.8%
Workers' remittances hit $3.9 billion in October, the SBP said, up 13.8% on last year. Here is where the money came from and why it matters for the rupee.
Overseas Pakistanis sent home $3.9 billion in October 2026, the State Bank of Pakistan said, 13.8% more than in October last year and 8.5% more than in September. Xinhua put the exact figure at $3.89 billion, against $3.42 billion a year earlier.
The SBP announced the number on its official X account, and Business Recorder, The Nation and Daily Times carried the breakdown. Business Recorder rounded the growth to 14% year on year and 8% month on month; the SBP’s own figures are the more precise ones.
Where did the money come from?
Saudi Arabia stayed on top with about $982 million, followed by the UAE at about $816 million and the UK at about $592 million, Xinhua reported. Daily Times put the US figure at $329 million.
For a sense of the jump: in October 2025, Business Recorder reported $820.9 million from Saudi Arabia, $697.7 million from the UAE and $487.7 million from the UK. All three of the biggest corridors are sending noticeably more than a year ago.
The year so far
From July to October, the first four months of the 2026-27 financial year, inflows reached $14.8 billion, The Nation reported, about 14% more than the $13 billion of the same months last year. The SBP now expects $45 billion for the full year, up from its earlier estimate of $44 billion, the paper said.
October also recovered after a softer September, when the Express Tribune reported remittances of about $3.6 billion, down 1.9% from August.
Why it matters at home
Remittances are Pakistan’s biggest steady source of dollars, bigger than any single export. More dollars coming in through banks helps the SBP’s reserves, takes pressure off the rupee and helps pay for imports, including oil, which matters more while the US-Iran war keeps crude prices jumpy.
For families, it is simpler: this is the money that pays school fees, rent and wedding costs in thousands of homes, from Mirpur to Sialkot to Swat.
The SBP usually releases November’s figure in the second week of December. This is information, not investment advice.
