62 % of men aged 15-24 want to leave Pakistan: survey

The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) found that 62 per cent of the male population of Pakistan aged between 15 to 24 years wants to leave the country.

The survey reveals that slightly more people in urban Pakistan (40%) than in rural Pakistan (36%) desire to leave the country.

Among the four provinces, the desire to leave the country is highest in Balochistan (42%), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh.

The desire is lowest in Punjab but not by much.

Better income remains the top reason for both males and females to leave the country. “Looking for more income and equal/better all-around opportunities was not surprising but moving out to gain more respect was an unexpected response. At the national level, it is the second most reported reason for the desire to leave the country,” reads the research report.