Pakistan Services Exports 2026: Every Month's PBS Figure, January to August, IT Leads at $395 Million (Full List)
Pakistan's services exports for every month of 2026 from PBS: $873 million in August, up 29%, IT at $395 million, and $7.09 billion from January to August.
Latest: Pakistan exported $873 million of services in August 2026, 29% more than in August 2025, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Services imports were $1.16 billion, so the services trade deficit was $283 million. Below is every month of 2026 so far, January to August, in one list.
Services exports are everything Pakistan sells abroad that is not a physical good: software and IT work, call centres, freight, tourism spending by foreigners, and consultancy. Computer and telecom services alone made up 45% of the August total.
We took every figure from the PBS "Trade in Services" summary sheets for each month of 2026, downloaded from the PBS site on 5 November 2026. Where a later sheet revised a month, we use the revised figure. August is still provisional.
Services exports were $873 million in August 2026
Pakistan's services exports were $873.0 million in August 2026, down 6.9% from July but up 29.0% from August 2025. Imports of services were $1,155.7 million, leaving a deficit of $282.7 million for the month.
In rupees, August services exports came to about Rs 242.6 billion, at the State Bank's average rate of Rs 277.92 to the dollar that PBS used.
For the first two months of the fiscal year, July and August 2026, services exports reached $1.81 billion, up 28.9% on the same months of 2025. Imports grew more slowly, by 9.8%, so the deficit shrank by about a quarter to $559.5 million.
Every month of 2026: the full services trade list
Pakistan sold $7.09 billion of services abroad from January to August 2026 and bought $7.98 billion, a deficit of $0.89 billion. Three months, March, April and May, showed a surplus.
| Month | Exports ($ million) | Imports ($ million) | Balance ($ million) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 873.0 | 1,155.7 | -282.7 | Provisional |
| July 2026 | 938.0 | 1,214.8 | -276.8 | Revised |
| June 2026 | 943.0 | 1,026.6 | -83.6 | Revised |
| May 2026 | 840.5 | 786.3 | +54.2 | Revised |
| April 2026 | 904.1 | 870.8 | +33.3 | Revised |
| March 2026 | 912.2 | 850.5 | +61.7 | Revised |
| February 2026 | 800.2 | 922.5 | -122.3 | Revised |
| January 2026 | 876.5 | 1,150.1 | -273.6 | Revised |
| Total, January to August | 7,087.5 | 7,977.2 | -889.7 | Our sum |
The totals row is our own sum of the PBS monthly figures. June was the best month for exports at $943.0 million. February was the weakest at $800.2 million.
Every month grew on the year before
Services exports were higher than in the same month of 2025 in all eight months of 2026, with growth between 16% and 37% as first reported. June showed the fastest rise, 37.2%, and May the slowest, 16.0%.
These growth rates come from each month's first PBS release, before later revisions, so they can differ slightly from a sum of the revised table above.
- January: up 31.1%
- February: up 16.9%
- March: up 16.2%
- April: up 21.7%
- May: up 16.0%
- June: up 37.2%
- July: up 27.3%
- August: up 29.0%
Goods trade tells a different story, with a much wider gap. Our list of Pakistan's goods trade deficit for every month of 2026 covers that side.
IT and telecom services earn the most, at $395 million in August
Telecommunication, computer and information services, the line most people call "IT exports", earned $394.6 million in August 2026. That is 45% of all services exports. Other business services, such as consultancy and call centres, came second at $209.1 million.
| Services export | August 2026 ($ million) | July to August 2026 ($ million) | Change on a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telecom, computer and information | 394.6 | 812.0 | +17.4% |
| Other business services | 209.1 | 419.3 | +38.7% |
| Travel | 110.4 | 222.4 | +151.4% |
| Transport | 86.1 | 176.8 | +35.1% |
| Government services | 52.9 | 122.5 | +3.5% |
Travel more than doubled in July and August compared with a year earlier. That line counts money foreign visitors spend in Pakistan.
How to check the next figure on the PBS site
PBS publishes services trade a month after goods trade, so the September 2026 figure is the next one due. You can read it free on the PBS External Trade page.
- Open pbs.gov.pk and choose External Trade.
- Find the Trade in Services files for the latest month.
- Open the Services Summary sheet for totals and the change on the month and year.
- Open the Services Data Detail Statement for each sector, such as IT and travel.
- Note whether the month is marked P for provisional or R for revised.
Services exports also feed the current account. Our report on the current account for September 2026 shows how they fit with goods and remittances.
Common questions
What were Pakistan's services exports in August 2026?
$873.0 million, up 29.0% from August 2025, according to the PBS provisional figure.
How much did Pakistan earn from IT exports in August 2026?
$394.6 million from telecommunication, computer and information services, which is 45% of all services exports that month.
Does Pakistan have a services trade surplus?
Only in some months. March, April and May 2026 showed a surplus. Over January to August, imports beat exports by $889.7 million.
Why do PBS figures change later?
The first figure for a month is provisional. PBS revises it in the next month's release when more data arrives, as it did for July 2026, from $926.8 million to $938.0 million.
When is the September 2026 figure due?
PBS has not published a date we could find. Services data usually follows a month behind goods, so check the External Trade page in November.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 5 November 2026. Sources: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Trade in Services summary sheets for January to August 2026 and the Services Data Detail Statement for August 2026, on the External Trade page (pbs.gov.pk).
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
