Pakistan's Youth Exodus: Education Mismatch, Mental Health Crisis Fuel Migration
Pakistan's younger generation is growing increasingly disillusioned with a societal system that demands patience and resilience while offering minimal returns. Hard work and education are consistently promoted as the primary solutions to personal and national advancement, yet for countless young individuals, academic degrees fail to translate into meaningful employment or financial stability.
The Broken Promise of Education
Graduates frequently find themselves either underemployed in roles that do not match their qualifications or entirely jobless, regardless of their educational achievements. This significant mismatch between the education system and available economic opportunities has fostered widespread frustration and prolonged financial dependence on families.
Simultaneously, the psychological toll of this uncertainty is escalating, with rising levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout among the youth. Access to affordable and professional mental health support remains critically limited, exacerbating the personal crisis many face.
Accelerating Outward Migration
Unsurprisingly, outward migration from Pakistan has accelerated dramatically in recent years. According to data from the Protectorate of Emigrants, nearly 2.9 million Pakistanis have left the country over the past three years alone.
This trend reflects not merely economic ambition but a profound lack of confidence in domestic prospects. A recent survey conducted by Gallup & Gilani Pakistan further highlights this crisis of faith, revealing that 66% of Pakistanis believe those who migrate abroad are more intelligent than those who remain—a deeply troubling societal perception.
A Call for Structural Reform
Pakistan's youth are not seeking sympathy or empty rhetoric. They demand substantive structural reform, including:
- An education system realigned with the actual needs of the labour market.
- Transparent and merit-based employment opportunities.
- Serious governmental and societal attention to mental well-being and support services.
Without meaningful and urgent change, the continued loss of young talent through migration will persist as one of Pakistan's most serious and debilitating challenges for the foreseeable future.
