WB: Migration wave key to South Asia's economic future

Migrants from India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are well-represented in advanced economies like the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

- 

As job creation in South Asia struggles to keep pace with a booming working-age population, millions are looking beyond national borders for opportunity—fueling a powerful wave of migration that is reshaping economies both at home and abroad, the World Bank said in a report yesterday.

With the region's adult population projected to grow by 22 million annually until 2030, and only 19 million jobs created each year over the past decade, migration has become a vital economic outlet. Today, South Asian migrants—who make up three percent of the region's workforce—are doing more than just sending money home; they are driving trade, bringing back skills, and forging global connections that could transform the region's development trajectory, if guided by smarter, forward-looking policies.

The report by Chief Economist, South Asia Region Franziska Ohnsorge and Senior Economist, Chief Economist Office for South Asia Zoe Leiyu Xie said: About half of South Asian migrants live and work in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. These migrants especially from countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan—typically work in low-skilled occupations under short-term contracts.