Pakistan’s youth turn to gaming for income amid rising unemployment

ISLAMABAD: The pressure to win is intense for 25-year-old Hamza Khalid.

As the sole breadwinner for a family of five, every online gaming match he wins brings in extra income for the day.

An engineer by profession, Hamza works at an IT company for seven hours daily. Outside of work, he spends as much time as he can gaming.

Hamza is part of a growing number of young Pakistanis turning to gaming platforms to supplement their income, as unemployment continues rising and wages remain low.

“Studying for four to five years in a university and getting a degree out of it – that will just get you a basic salary of 40,000 to 50,000 Pakistani rupees (US$143 to US$180) at the maximum,” he told CNA.

He added that investing the same amount of time in the esports industry could bring in up to 500,000 rupees a month.

Youth unemployment remains a major concern in Pakistan, where job opportunities are struggling to keep pace with a rapidly growing workforce.

According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data, the number of unemployed people increased by about 1.4 million over the past five years, reaching nearly 6 million in the 2024-2025 period.

THE RISE OF ESPORTS

Globally, esports is a fast-growing, multi-billion-dollar industry.

In Pakistan, its growth is being driven by a young, tech-savvy population looking for new ways to earn a living.

More than half of the country’s population is under the age of 30, providing a large base of potential players and audiences.

Revenue can come from sponsorships, team salaries, prize winnings and online streaming.

For Hamza, the appeal is not just the income, but the possibility of earning in foreign currency.

“International esports companies pay us in dollars and that difference … was a very big motivation for us because we have a very … low-profile currency,” he said.

SIGNS OF STRAIN

The lack of opportunities is not only pushing some towards alternative income streams, but also driving others to leave the country.

World Bank President Ajay Banga has warned that Pakistan needs to generate between 2.5 million and 3 million jobs annually over the next decade to turn its large youth population into an economic dividend – or risk instability and outward migration.

Signs of strain may already be emerging.

Nearly 4,000 doctors left Pakistan last year – the highest annual outflow on record, according to Gallup Pakistan data based on official figures.

Economists warn that this “brain drain” could worsen.

“That is something economists are worried about these days. The fact of the matter is Pakistan has already suffered from brain drain. We lost a lot of professionals to other countries like North America, and also in Europe,” said Syed Ali Ehsan from Islamabad-based think-tank Policy Research Institute of Market Economy.

“It can become a really big problem.”

JOB CREATION AND TRAINING EFFORTS

The government says it is working to address unemployment by creating jobs and improving skills training.

Officials expect more than 1.6 million jobs to be created this year, alongside programmes aimed at equipping graduates with skills in sectors such as IT, banking, food and healthcare.

“The government has launched many skill development programmes to give the new graduates the skills or international certifications … enabling youth to get employed in the market,” said Rana Ihsaan Afzal, coordinator to Pakistan’s prime minister on commerce.

However, it remains unclear whether these measures will be enough to address the scale of joblessness in the country.

Even for those who are employed, low wages remain a key concern. The average monthly salary in Pakistan is about US$140, often not enough to keep up with the rising cost of living.

For workers like Hamza, this leaves little choice but to keep playing.