ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is looking to turn its young population into a stronger digital workforce as a new Google partnership focuses on digital skills, IT exports and technology growth.
The initiative comes as Pakistan’s ICT sector reaches record export levels, according to an analysis by the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMA International).
The analysis, published in ICMA’s Economic Signal, said Pakistan’s large young population, growing technology adoption and increasing public-private cooperation could help shift the economy from technology consumption toward digital production and services.
Pakistan’s ICT export remittances reached $417 million in July 2026, up 18% year over year, according to the ICMA analysis. The figure puts the sector’s annual run rate at a record $4.6 billion.
The country’s ICT trade surplus also reached $344 million, highlighting the sector’s growing contribution to Pakistan’s economy.
The analysis said a concessional tax rate as low as 0.25% could provide an additional incentive for IT and IT-enabled services exports and support further sector growth.
The Pakistan-Google partnership, announced Aug. 21, 2026, includes plans to expand digital skills training and provide 150,000 Google Career Certificates to Pakistani youth in 2026.
The initiative is aimed at developing job-ready skills in areas of growing demand across the digital economy. Google’s Career Certificates program in Pakistan has expanded significantly since its launch in 2023.
The ICMA analysis also cited 350,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships as part of the broader digital upskilling effort and highlighted a target of reaching 300,000 developers through initiatives including Google Developer Groups and AI Seekho.
Pakistan’s young population could provide a significant workforce for technology-driven industries if more people gain internationally relevant skills.
The report estimates that 46.3 million people are between the ages of 15 and 24, creating a large potential workforce for the digital economy.
However, the analysis identified the skills gap as a major challenge. It also highlighted a 28.4% NEET rate among young people those not in employment, education or training.
Closing that gap will be critical to ensuring Pakistan can compete for jobs and business opportunities in the global digital economy.
The digital opportunity extends beyond software and workforce development.
The report pointed to local capacity for the assembly of 500,000 Chromebook devices annually, indicating potential for Pakistan to expand its role in technology manufacturing and develop domestic supply chains.
A shift from technology consumption toward local production could create jobs, strengthen domestic businesses and increase the value generated within the country.
Artificial intelligence could provide another major source of economic growth.
According to the ICMA analysis, AI has the potential to generate an estimated PKR 4.4 trillion in gross value added (GVA) and create a projected $12 billion export opportunity for Pakistan.
The report said realizing that potential would depend on developing the talent, infrastructure and business environment needed for large-scale AI adoption.
The digital expansion comes as the services sector continues to dominate Pakistan’s economy.
The sector accounted for 58.42% of Pakistan’s GDP in 2025-26, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data cited by ICMA. Its share stood at 58.21% in 2024-25, compared with 58.23% in 2023-24, 58.44% in 2022-23 and 58.29% in 2021-22.
The figures underline the sector’s importance and its potential to support further growth in technology-based services and digital exports.
ICMA’s analysis presents the Google partnership as part of a broader opportunity for Pakistan to strengthen its position in the global digital economy.
With a large young workforce, record ICT exports, expanding digital training and growing AI opportunities, Pakistan has the potential to build a stronger technology-driven economy.
The main challenge will be turning training, investment and technology partnerships into sustainable employment, higher-value exports and greater domestic production capacity.
