Lahore: A new survey reveals that 8.7% of households in Punjab received international remittances over the past year, with a surprising uniformity between rural and urban areas. However, a stark contrast exists at the district level, with Gujrat showing a remittance receipt rate more than 15 times higher than Bahawalpur’s.

According to the Gilani Research Foundation, the Punjab Health and Population Survey (PHPS) 2024-25 Baseline Report, which examined data from 24,540 households across 36 districts, showcases that Gujrat leads with 34.5% of its households receiving remittances, compared to a mere 2.2% in Bahawalpur. This disparity underscores the concentrated nature of diaspora networks in the province’s north-central belt rather than a province-wide emigration pattern.

The survey further highlights that while international remittances are evenly distributed between rural and urban households, domestic remittances exhibit a rural skew, reaching 8.1% of rural households compared to 5.0% in urban areas. This pattern aligns with internal migration, where individuals move from rural areas to cities for work and send money back to their families.

Despite 8.7% of households receiving international remittances, only 5.2% rely on them as the primary income source, indicating that remittances often supplement rather than replace other earnings. This distinction is significant as it reflects the role of remittance income as a secondary economic stream in many households.

The survey’s findings reveal a concentrated diaspora belt in Punjab’s north-central districts, including Gujrat, Sialkot, and Mandi Bahauddin, where remittance receipt rates are significantly higher than the provincial average. In contrast, districts like Bahawalpur, Mianwali, and Bhakkar show much lower rates, highlighting the uneven distribution of diaspora-linked financial support across the province.