Pakistanis spend $3.5 billion annually on Hajj, Umrah, other pilgrimages: report

A recent research report by a private organisation has revealed that Pakistanis spend almost $3.5 billion annually on Hajj, Umrah, and other pilgrimages.

The breakdown of the amount showed that $2 billion was spent on Umrah, $1 billion on Hajj, and $0.5 billion on other pilgrimages, including visits to Iran and Iraq at the shrines of Hazrat Hussain (R.A) and his family members and companions.

The report said that almost $2.5 billion was spent on sacrifices during Eid-ul-Adha 2024. 

However, the total expenditure was recorded at $3 billion during the meaty festival.

The report further noted that the skins of sacrificial animals met 37 percent of the leather sector's requirements every year.

According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, at least 160,000 Pakistanis performed Hajj this year in Saudi Arabia, joining hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.

Last year, Pakistan was ranked second as 195,224 pilgrims had arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah.