Pakistan’s freelance market is expanding quickly and we don’t know how many freelancers in Pakistan. From July to December of the fiscal year 2021–22, the national community of independent contractors earned $216.788 million by exporting their services, an increase of over 16.74 percent over the same time the previous year. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication recently issued this information (IT&T).

How Many Freelancers In Pakistan?

The Pakistani government has built a free-lance Information Technology (IT) hub in Rawalpindi. The project costs 35 million PKR. It is the first project in Pakistan’s tech sector to have been constructed on such a massive scale. On March 10, a rent auction for this recently established freelancing IT cluster in Rawalpindi will take place.

The development of this project, according to the Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC), was done to help the country’s Information Technology (IT) sector and give young people new chances.

With a total floor area of 7,500 square feet, the new IT hub is a sizable construction project. It has a café, four meeting rooms, two spaces for group discussions, and a daycare facility for working mothers. The proposal also includes plans for a rooftop restaurant and a designated parking area large enough to hold 40 automobiles at once.

Since 2002, the global Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector has been steadily expanding, and this development gave rise to the freelancing or online gig market. By 2027, the BPO business is anticipated to reach $405.6 billion, with a sizable portion of that growth coming from freelancers or the freelance sector. The majority of work is outsourced to nations like India, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan, to mention a few, because there is an abundance of labor and skilled labor available there for a substantially lower cost. When it comes to Pakistan, freelancing there has developed at an incredible rate.

Freelancers in Pakistan have solidified their place in this fiercely competitive sector, with the emergence of software houses, IT companies, and content mills among other developments.

The State Bank of Pakistan recently released a periodic report on the fiscal year 2018–19, which highlighted the recent growth of Pakistan’s gig economy or freelancing sector. In the world of freelancing, Pakistan is proud to be one of the top five nations. People from all around Pakistan, even distant places, are now able to work remotely and support Pakistan’s economy because to the availability of contemporary technology and high-speed internet connections.

A Center For Talented People Is Pakistan

The limitless skill demonstrated by Pakistan’s youngsters serves as a good indicator of the country’s potential in the digital industry. Both academically and professionally, Pakistan’s IT sector is mostly driven by the younger generation. Almost a million independent contractors are employed in Pakistan at the moment, with Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad serving as their primary places of origin.

The internet, digital media, and different online gig platforms make it easy for freelancers in Pakistan to gain international exposure. The majority of those who freelance in the nation are under 30 years old, who also make up about 64% of the overall population. Talk about youth in abundance!

The limitless skill demonstrated by Pakistan’s youngsters serves as a good indicator of the country’s potential in the digital industry. Both academically and professionally, Pakistan’s IT sector is mostly driven by the younger generation. Almost a million independent contractors are employed in Pakistan at the moment, with Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad serving as their primary places of origin.

The internet, digital media, and different online gig platforms make it easy for freelancers in Pakistan to gain international exposure. The majority of those who freelance in the nation are under 30 years old, who also make up about 64% of the overall population. Talk about youth in abundance!

Co-working Spaces In Pakistan: A Concept

When it comes to working from home constantly, the majority of people occasionally feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or are thought to be sluggish. Additionally, working alone sometimes makes you feel lonely. All of these things could have a detrimental impact on how well you perform when working online. As a result, co-working spaces are a growing trend in Pakistan and around the world since they enable like-minded people to come together without jeopardizing their independence. Additionally, these locations feature amenities like high-speed internet, power backup, and appropriate workplaces that are absent from the majority of Pakistani households.

Co-working spaces are one of the best places for freelancers and small business owners in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad to launch their professional lives. The growth of the freelance economy in Pakistan is largely due to the rise of the shared workspace idea. On a related point, be sure to read this blog to find out more about the advantages and disadvantages of co-working spaces.

Websites For Freelance Work Available To Pakistan

Pakistani freelancers have access to a variety of websites for their work. Let’s investigate the top four among neighborhood independent contractors.

FREELANCER.COM

Freelancer.com, arguably one of the oldest and most reputable freelancing websites in the world, has aided the worldwide freelancing sector for more than ten years. Freelancer.com is another source of income for a sizable number of Pakistani freelancers. Sydney, Australia serves as the headquarters of this internet freelance marketplace.

UPWORK

More than 12 million active freelancers are on this network and are accessible for a range of jobs. On Upwork, almost three million jobs are listed each year. To register as a freelancer on the platform, you must first develop and submit a profile referencing your pertinent qualifications and experience. Your profile will start to show up to folks seeking for freelancers all across the world once it has been reviewed and authorized.

FIVERR

Nearly every freelancer in Pakistan who wants to make money online uses the hugely famous freelancing forum Fiverr. It is also listed as one of the top 100 websites in the country. On Fiverr, you may use gigs to sell your main abilities. On Fiverr, the lowest payment a freelancer may receive is $5 per gig.

PEOPLEPERHOUR

On PeoplePerHour, a well-known UK-based online freelancing community, many Pakistani freelancers have signed up for accounts. The website asks you to sign up for a premium subscription after you have sent 15 ideas to various companies for free. PeoplePerHour posts hundreds of jobs every day.

Therefore, if you have already determined your skills, register on one of the aforementioned platforms and begin making money as a freelancer online!

Pakistan’s Options To Paypal

The most dependable merchant for online payments, PayPal, does not serve Pakistan; yet, the number of freelancers in Pakistan continues to rise and shows no indications of slowing down. However, in order for this business to further boost Pakistan’s total economy, efforts on both the part of the government and of individual citizens are needed to introduce PayPal to the country. Pakistani freelancers currently rely on alternative payment methods to get paid online by their clients.

Pakistanis frequently utilize Skrill, Zoom, and Payoneer as PayPal substitutes. These online payment merchants are all straightforward and simple to use. Only the fact that PayPal charges a lower fee on funds transfers than all other payment processors makes it a better or more practical option.\

FAQ

What will freelance be like in Pakistan in the future?

Pakistan is one of the most financially appealing nations in the world to outsource tech employment, with more than 6,000 IT companies and one million freelancers. Currently, Pakistan’s freelancing industry brings in more than $500 million annually. The revenue is predicted to surpass $2.4 billion during the following five years, though, assuming the number of freelancers in Pakistan keeps increasing at this rate and the government adopts more measures to make freelancing simpler.

What is the current ranking of freelancing in Pakistan?

Pakistan is the fourth most popular nation for freelancers

When it comes to freelancing, Pakistan is one of the top five nations in the globe and created a large estimated sum of $0.5 billion totally from freelancing. Pakistan is consistently ranked among the top destinations for outsourcing Internet Communications and Technology (ICT) due to the IT sector’s exponential growth, and it is ranked as the fourth most popular country for freelancing in the Online Labor Index published in 2017 by Oxford Internet Institute (OII). In the world rankings for software development and technology, Pakistan is ranked fourth.

Speaking to the media, a ministry representative claimed that although the revenue had been estimated at $0.5 billion, it was actually higher. A formal, state-backed framework for e-commerce has not yet been put in place, but once it is, it will be channeled to support the national treasury. Many people have jobs they can do at home and make decent money. Many people in Pakistan are able to combine freelancing with their regular occupations to earn a respectable income, he continued.

He stated that India, Bangladesh, and the United States, respectively, had taken the top three spots. The typical outsourcing location of India, which is home to 24% of the employees seen, is the greatest overall supplier of online labor, per the statistics. According to the report, 9% of all freelancers reside in Pakistan.

Which country has the highest number of freelancers?

Countries With Highest Number of Freelancers in 2022:

• United States – 78%
• United Kingdom – 59%
• Brazil – 48%
• Pakistan – 47%
• Ukraine – 36%
• Philippines – 35%
• India – 29%
• Bangladesh – 27%
• Russia – 20%
• Serbia – 19%

The prevalence of freelancing and non-salaried work has grown along with the development of new Internet technologies. This demonstrates how freelancers will have more independent jobs in the future. We expect that in the near future, freelancers will be able to find work and expand their enterprises.

A third option that is becoming more and more well-liked among Pakistani young is freelancing. If you have a laptop and good internet, you can work from anyplace as a freelancer, the freelancer claims.

Why is freelancing flourishing in Pakistan?

While the global average for freelancers is 36 hours per week, Pakistani freelancers work 34 hours per week. The quality of the projects offered by the Pakistani freelancers is comparable to that of the world’s top freelancer nations. Contractors are turning to poor nations because Pakistan and Bangladesh have access to cheap digital labor.

There are a variety of national goals for Pakistan that must be accomplished, including political stability, basic healthcare, business opportunities, and employment to increase exports. These development and economic goals can be significantly advanced by the quickly expanding freelancing economy. Freelance marketplaces give people new ways to make money, and their popularity can increase significantly very quickly. You can make a respectable living doing what you love and being your own boss if you have a skill and treat freelancing like a genuine job.

Is freelancing a good career in Pakistan?

Pakistan is the fourth most popular country for freelancing in terms of revenue, generating roughly $0.5 billion exclusively from this activity.

People in Pakistan want their children to work in the same area they do, for example, a doctor wants his child to become a doctor, while families that are business-oriented want their kids to work for their company. Either you either work for them as a corporate slave or you should join their company. They even oppose going into business for oneself, while many people opt to make freelancing their career. When the workload grows, it can even be outsourced by bringing on more independent contractors. Freelancing has helped a lot of people launch their businesses, and some more plan to do so.

Due to the time zone differences between the US and Europe, freelancers frequently work night shifts, which can be challenging for certain people. However, the money is considerable, so the sleep deprivation is at least somewhat justified. Freelancing is a fantastic way for Pakistani women who aren’t allowed to work to support themselves while staying at home. They become independent as a result, and they use the money to support themselves or their family. Women who work outside face various risks, but since they may work as much as they can while sitting at home, they are protected from these risks by working freelance.

The greatest approach for students to make some extra money is through freelancing because the hours are flexible and they don’t have to worry about reporting for duty or meeting deadlines at strange hours while still attending class and doing their assignments. Students may easily locate jobs online and earn money to either party it up or pay off their student loans! Who doesn’t enjoy having more money coming in? In conclusion, freelancing is definitely making its way to Pakistan and has already caught up with the trend, making it a successful employment option here. Although everything is unstable, at least you are the boss!