Demographics of Pakistan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pakistan had a population of 241,499,431 according to the final results of the 2023 census.[6] This figure includes the country's four provinces e.g. Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory. Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan's census data is yet to be approved by CCI Council of Pakistan. Pakistan is the world's fifth–most populous country.[5]

Population241,499,431[a] (2023 census)
Density260.8/km2 (675/sq mi)
248.9/km2 (645/sq mi) (including AJK and GB)
Growth rateIncrease 1.85% (2021 est.)[3]
Birth rate22.5 births / 1,000 population (2023 est.)
Quick facts Pakistan, Population ...
Demographics of Pakistan
Population pyramid of Pakistan, as of 2026
Population241,499,431[a] (2023 census)
Density260.8/km2 (675/sq mi)
248.9/km2 (645/sq mi) (including AJK and GB)
Growth rateIncrease 1.85% (2021 est.)[3]
Birth rate22.5 births / 1,000 population (2023 est.)
Death rate7.2 deaths / 1,000 population (2021 est.)[3]
Life expectancy69.1 years (2022 est.)[3]
 • male66.8 years (2022 est.)[3]
 • female71.6 years (2022 est.)[3]
Fertility rate3.50 children born / woman (2025 est.)[4]
Net migration rate−2.0 migrants / 1,000 population (2021 est.)[3]
Age structure
0–14 years37.2% (2020)[5]
15–64 years58.6% (2020)[5]
65 and over4.2% (2020)[5]
Nationality
Nationalitynoun: Pakistani
Major ethnicSee Ethnic groups in Pakistan
Language
SpokenSee Languages of Pakistan
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Between 1951 and 2023, Pakistan's population expanded over sevenfold, going from 33.7 million to 241.5 million. The country has a relatively high, although declining, growth rate supported by high birth rates and low death rates. Between 1998 and 2017, the average annual population growth rate stood at +2.40%.[7]

Dramatic social changes have led to urbanization and the emergence of two megacities: Karachi and Lahore. The country's urban population more than tripled between 1981 and 2017 (from 23.8 million to 75.7 million), as Pakistan's urbanisation rate rose from 28.2% to 36.4%. Even with this, the nation's urbanisation rate remains one of the lowest in the world, and in 2017, over 130 million Pakistanis (making up nearly 65% of the population) lived in rural areas.

Due to a high fertility rate, which was estimated at 3.5 in 2022, Pakistan has one of the world's youngest populations. The 2017 census recorded that 40.3% of the country's population was under the age of 15, while only 3.7% of Pakistanis were aged 65 or more.[8] The median age of the country was 19,[8] while its sex ratio was recorded to be 105 males per 100 females.[9] Pakistan ranked last (148th of 148 countries) on the Global Gender Gap Index, with a gender parity score of 56.7%, reflecting one of the lowest levels of gender equality globally.[10]

The demographic history of Pakistan from the ancient Indus Valley civilization to the modern era includes the arrival and settlement of many cultures and ethnic groups in the modern region of Pakistan from Eurasia and the nearby Middle East. Because of this, Pakistan has a multicultural, multilinguistic, and multiethnic society. Pakistan is also thought to have the world's fourth-largest refugee population, estimated at 1.4 million in mid-2021 by the UNHCR.[11]

Population

Main article: Census in Pakistan
More information Year, Pop. ...
Historical Population of Pakistan (four provinces and Islamabad)
YearPop.±% p.a.
1951 33,740,167—    
1961 42,880,378+2.43%
1972 65,309,340+3.90%
1981 84,253,644+2.87%
1998 132,352,279+2.69%
2017 207,684,626+2.40%
2023 241,499,431+2.55%
Source: [9][12][13][14]
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The 2017 census recorded a population of 207,684,626 living in Pakistan's four provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory.[9] The census also reported that Azad Kashmir's population stood at 4,045,367[1] and Gilgit-Baltistan's population was 1,492,924.[2] This meant that the total population of Pakistan in 2017 was 213,222,917.

The statistics in the graphs below were created by the United Nations in July 2022,[5] and are covered in more detail in the following section. This data includes Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. For years, the country with a population exceeding 230 million has been grappling to achieve economic stability. The people of Pakistan are living in a precarious situation, with an uncertain future in the country.[15]

millionyear306090120150180210240195019601970198019902000201020202030Population (million)Pakistan Population
View source data.
Promillyear-20-1001020304050195019601970198019902000201020202030Crude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Crude rate of natural increase (per 1000)Crude rate of migration (per 1000)Pakistan Population Change
View source data.
‰years50100150200250300195019601970198019902000201020202030Infant Mortality (per 1000 live births)Pakistan Infant Mortality
View source data.
TFRyears3.544.555.566.57195019601970198019902000201020202030Total Fertility RateTotal Fertility Rate
View source data.
Population Density per square kilometre of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistan Census
Population of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistan Census

Estimates from the United Nations

In July 2022, the United Nations published its 2022 World Population Prospects, a bi annually-updated database where key demographic indicators are estimated and projected worldwide down to the country level. They prepared estimates of Pakistan's population for every year from 1950 to 2021, as well as projections for future decades.[5] This data includes Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Projections are highlighted in light yellow, and future figures are taken from the medium fertility variant.

More information Year, Population ...
Year Population % Population
aged 0 to 14		 % Population
aged 15 to 64		 % Population
aged 65 or more
1950 37,696,264 40.5% 54.0% 5.5%
1955 40.3% 55.3% 4.4%
1960 45,954,226 40.6% 55.6% 3.7%
1965 51,841,626 42.3% 54.4% 3.4%
1970 59,290,872 43.7% 53.0% 3.3%
1975 68,126,999 43.9% 52.8% 3.4%
1980 80,624,057 43.0% 53.5% 3.4%
1985 97,121,552 43.0% 53.5% 3.5%
1990 115,414,069 43.7% 52.8% 3.5%
1995 133,117,476 44.4% 52.1% 3.5%
2000 154,369,924 42.9% 53.6% 3.5%
2005 174,372,098 41.1% 55.4% 3.5%
2010 194,454,498 39.2% 57.0% 3.7%
2015 210,969,298 38.4% 57.7% 3.9%
2020 227,196,741 37.3% 58.6% 4.2%
2025 249,948,885 35.3% 60.2% 4.5%
2030 274,029,836 33.2% 61.9% 4.9%
2035 298,432,780 31.7% 63.1% 5.2%
2040 322,595,767 29.5% 64.8% 5.7%
2045 345,818,945 28.1% 65.8% 6.2%
2050 367,808,468 26.6% 66.5% 6.9%
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Structure of population

Median Age of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistani Census

The table below shows Pakistan's population structure by five-year age group and sex using data from the 2023 census.[8] The country's population structure is relatively young, with a median age of 19. With low death rates and a declining birth rate, the country is in the third stage of its Demographic transition. In 2017, Pakistan's sex ratio stood at 105 males per 100 females,[9] which is much more balanced than South Asia as a whole.

The statistics below do not contain Azad Kashmir or Gilgit-Baltistan, which disseminate their census data separately from Pakistan's four provinces and Islamabad.

More information Age group, Male ...
Age group Male Female Total Sex ratio Percent
Total 123,824,681 116,613,077 240,458,089 106.12 100.0%
0 – 4 18,744,989 17,726,432 36,471,421 105.1 14.0%
5 – 9 16,566,852 15,705,284 32,272,136 108.8 14.5%
10 – 14 14,971,914 13,817,137 28,790,182 111.8 11.8%
15 – 19 12,581,753 11,569,893 24,154,118 108.0 10.3%
20 – 24 10,323,755 10,141,864 20,468,713 100.0 8.9%
25 – 29 8,946,770 9,016,962 17,967,161 98.8 7.9%
30 – 34 7,730,953 8,026,004 15,759,670 96.4 6.8%
35 – 39 7,313,967 7,047,727 14,364,278 102.2 5.8%
40 – 44 6,471,820 6,063,242 12,536,758 101.5 4.6%
45 – 49 5,095,175 4,624,839 9,721,110 104.9 3.8%
50 – 54 4,219,234 3,827,003 8,047,113 110.4 3.3%
55 – 59 3,455,455 2,933,026 6,388,995 113.8 2.4%
60 – 64 2,247,341 2,063,695 4,311,861 108.9 2.1%
65 – 69 1,557,733 1,393,718 2,952,013 111.8 1.4%
70 – 74 1,131,916 1,001,805 2,134,220 113.0 1.0%
75 or more 1,338,251 1,287,621 2,626,523 103.9 1.26%
Age group Male Female Total Sex ratio Percent
0 – 14 43,533,720 40,182,776 83 716 496 108.3 40.3%
15 – 64 58,778,374 57,478,712 116,257,086 102.3 56.0%
65+ 4,027,900 3,683,144 7,711,044 109.4 3.7%
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Population distribution

Pakistan's population is distributed unevenly, with over half of the country's people living in the Punjab province. On the other hand, Balochistan, which is geographically Pakistan's largest province, is the least-populated. The population is mainly clustered around the most agriculturally fertile areas (which is the reason Punjab has the highest population as it is agriculturally fertile), particularly the Indus River and its tributaries. Most of the country's people live in rural areas, but two large and growing megacities exist: the coastal Karachi and Lahore in eastern Punjab. Numerous smaller cities (such as Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gujranwala and the capital Islamabad) dot the rest of the country.

By province

The table below shows Pakistan's provinces and territories by their historical population. While every one of Pakistan's administrative units currently has a growing population, the pace of growth is uneven throughout the country due to differing levels of fertility, mortality, as well as domestic and international migration. Populations pertaining to the modern borders of provinces are shown.

More information Province or Territory, Punjab ...
Province or Territory 1951[14] 1961[14] 1972[14] 1981[14] 1998[14] 2017[9] 2023[16]
Punjab 20,540,762 25,463,974 37,607,423 47,292,441 73,691,290 109,989,655 127,688,922
Sindh 6,047,748 8,367,065 14,155,909 19,028,666 30,439,893 47,854,510 55,696,147
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 5,888,550 7,578,186 10,879,781 13,259,875 20,919,976 35,501,964 40,856,097
Balochistan 1,167,167 1,353,484 2,428,678 4,332,376 6,565,885 12,335,129 14,894,402
ICT — 117,669 237,549 340,286 805,235 2,003,368 2,363,863
Four Provinces and ICT 33,740,167 42,880,378 65,309,340 84,253,644 132,352,279 207,684,626 241,499,431
Azad Kashmir[1] 886,000 1,065,000 1,573,000 1,983,465 2,972,501 4,045,367
Gilgit-Baltistan

File:Flag of Gilgit Baltistan (2011-Present).png[2]

— — — — 884,000 1,492,924
Total Pakistan — — — — 136,208,780 213,222,917
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Urbanization

The following table shows how Pakistan has urbanised. As is true with population growth, urbanisation is an uneven and nonlinear process. With an urbanisation rate of 54% as of 2023, Sindh is the country's most urbanised province, just after Punjab. This is largely fuelled by the growth of Karachi, which economically dominates the province and attracts migrants from the rest of the province. On the other hand, the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the territory of Gilgit-Baltistan both share very low urbanisation rates.

More information Province or Territory, Punjab ...
Province or Territory 1951[14] 1961[14] 1972[14] 1981[14] 1998[14] 2017[9] 2023[16]
Punjab 17.3% 21.5% 24.4% 27.6% 31.3% 36.9% 40.7%
Sindh 29.2% 37.9% 40.4% 43.3% 48.8% 51.9% 54.0%
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 8.6% 10.3% 11.1% 12.6% 14.3% 16.5% 15.0%
Balochistan 12.4% 16.9% 16.5% 15.6% 23.9% 27.6% 30.1%
ICT 0.0% 0.0% 32.3% 60.1% 65.7% 50.4% 46.9%
Four Provinces and ICT 17.7% 22.5% 25.4% 28.3% 32.5% 36.4% 38.9%
Azad Kashmir[1] — — — 8.1% 12.5% 17.4%
Gilgit-Baltistan

File:Flag of Gilgit Baltistan (2011-Present).png[2]

— — — — 16.8% 16.5%
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Largest cities

Main article: List of cities in Pakistan by population

As urbanisation has progressed and owing to the country's large population, Pakistan today has many very large urban centers which act as hubs for commerce and culture. The nation has two megacities, Karachi and Lahore. With populations of 18.9 million and 13 million respectively (as of 2023), they are among the world's largest metropolises. The country also has eight more cities with more than 1 million residents each: Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Quetta, and Islamabad. All of them play a significant role in the country, housing nearly 19 million people altogether.

Below a list showing Pakistan's cities with a population over 500,000 as of the 2023 census can be found, which not only shows the current populations of the cities, but also their growth rates and locations. The full list can be found on the main article: List of cities in Pakistan by population.

All city population figures below include adjacent cantonments.

More information City Name, Province or Territory ...
City Name Province or Territory 2023 Population[16] Avg. Annual Growth Rate (2017-2023) 2017 Population[17] Avg. Annual Growth Rate (1998-2017) 1998 Population[14]
Karachi Sindh 18,868,021 Increase4.05% 14,884,402 Increase 2.48% 9,339,023
Lahore Punjab 13,004,135 Increase2.65% 11,119,985 Increase 4.06% 5,209,088
Faisalabad Punjab 3,691,999 Increase2.37% 3,210,158 Increase 2.49% 2,008,861
Rawalpindi Punjab 3,357,612 Increase8.18% 2,097,824 Increase 2.11% 1,409,768
Gujranwala Punjab 2,668,047 Increase3.55% 2,028,421 Increase 3.11% 1,132,509
Multan Punjab 2,215,381 Increase2.85% 1,872,641 Increase 2.38% 1,197,384
Hyderabad Sindh 1,921,275 Increase1.53% 1,733,622 Increase 2.10% 1,166,894
Peshawar KPK 1,905,975 Decrease-0.55% 1,969,823 Increase 3.72% 982,816
Quetta Balochistan 1,565,546 Increase7.79% 999,385 Increase 3.04% 565,137
Islamabad ICT 1,108,872 Increase1.59% 1,009,003 Increase 3.45% 529,180
Sargodha Punjab 975,886 Increase6.81% 658,208 Increase 1.92% 458,440
Sialkot Punjab 911,817 Increase5.64% 656,730 Increase 2.36% 421,502
Bahawalpur Punjab 903,795 Increase2.88% 762,774 Increase 3.34% 408,395
Jhang Punjab 606,533 Increase6.58% 414,309 Increase 1.83% 293,366
Sheikhupura Punjab 591,424 Increase3.80% 472,269 Increase 2.79% 280,263
Gujrat Punjab 574,240 Increase6.65% 390,758 Increase 2.34% 251,792
Sukkur Sindh 563,851 Increase2.02% 500,401 Increase 2.12% 335,551
Larkana Sindh 551,716 Increase2.07% 488,006 Increase 3.15% 270,283
Sahiwal Punjab 538,344 Increase5,59% 388,795
Okara Punjab 533,693 Increase6.90% 358,146
Rahim Yar Khan Punjab 519,261 Increase3.57% 420,963 Increase 3.14% 233,537
Kasur Punjab 510,875 Increase6.11% 358,296
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Vital statistics

As Pakistan lacks a national vital statistics system that publicly disseminates data, all of the following information is made from estimates, which are constantly being revised. The United Nations estimated that in February 2021, only 42% of births in Pakistan were officially registered, making it the world's most populous country where more than half of births remained unregistered.[18] The United Nations was unable to estimate how many deaths were officially registered.[18]

Demographic and Health Surveys

Surveys taken by the Pakistani government or intergovernmental organisations are seen as the most reliable method of keeping tabs on birth, death, fertility, and infant mortality rates in a country without a reliable vital registration system. The data recorded in these surveys is used by the United Nations in order to estimate historical and future fertility and mortality figures for Pakistan in the World Population Prospects.[19]

More information Survey, Crude birth rate ...
Survey Crude birth rate Crude death rate Infant mortality rate Total fertility rate Life expectancy
Urban Rural Total Male Female
DHS 2006–07[20] 30.7 — 78 3.30 4.49 4.08 — —
PSLM 2007–08[21] — — 69 3.13 4.41 3.95 — —
PSLM 2011–12[22] — — 63 3.26 4.35 3.95 — —
DHS 2012–13[23] — — 74 3.16 4.20 3.84 — —
PSLM 2013–14[24] — — 65 3.24 4.35 3.95 — —
DHS 2017–18[25] 29 — 62 2.93 3.94 3.56 — —
PSLM 2018–19[26] — — 60 3.01 4.21 3.75 — —
PMMS 2019[27] — — — — — — 64.3 66.5
PDS 2020[28] 27 6.7 56 3.07 4.11 3.72 64.5 65.5
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Regional fertility rates

Many of the surveys above also recorded fertility rate data broken down by each of Pakistan's administrative units, while many more surveys have been taken explicitly focusing on a specific province or territory. The fertility rate data recorded in these surveys is displayed in the table below.

More information Survey, Punjab ...
Survey Punjab Sindh KPK Balochistan ICT AJK G-B Pakistan
DHS 2006–07[20] 3.9 4.3 4.3 4.1 — — — 4.08
MICS Punjab 2011[29] 3.6 — — — — — — —
DHS 2012–13[23] 3.8 3.9 3.9 4.2 3.0 — 3.8 3.84
MICS Punjab 2014[30] 3.5 — — — — — — —
MICS Sindh 2014[31] — 4.0 — — — — — —
MICS KPK 2016–17[32] — — 4.0 — — — — —
MICS G-B 2016–17[33] — — — — — — 4.6 —
DHS 2017–18[25] 3.4 3.6 4.1 4.0 3.0 3.5 4.7 3.56
MICS Punjab 2017–18[34] 3.7 — — — — — — —
MICS Sindh 2018–19[35] — 3.7 — — — — — —
MICS KPK 2019[36] — — 4.0 — — — — —
MICS Balochistan 2019-20[37] — — — 4.0 — — — —
MICS AJK 2020–21[38] — — — — — 3.4 — —
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The MICS surveys above also provide data on the district level, although they come with a far higher margin of error. This margin of error is lessened for larger districts from where larger sample sizes were utilised. In the chart below, the latest fertility rate data for each Pakistani district with a population of over 2 million as of the 2017 census can be found. Although the table is originally ranked by district population size, clicking the headers will allow the reader to sort the table.

More information District, Province ...
District Province Total fertility rate Margin of error Year of survey 2017 Population
Lahore Punjab 3.1 ±0.2 2017–18[34] 11,119,985
Faisalabad Punjab 3.3 ±0.2 2017–18[34] 7,882,444
Rawalpindi Punjab 3.2 ±0.2 2017–18[34] 5,402,380
Gujranwala Punjab 3.4 ±0.2 2017–18[34] 5,011,066
Rahim Yar Khan Punjab 4.6 ±0.4 2017–18[34] 4,807,762
Multan Punjab 3.6 ±0.3 2017–18[34] 4,746,166
Peshawar KPK 4.0 ±0.5 2019[36] 4,331,959
Muzaffargarh Punjab 4.7 ±0.3 2017–18[34] 4,328,549
Karachi West Sindh 2.2 ±0.3 2018–19[35] 3,907,065
Sialkot Punjab 3.5 ±0.3 2017–18[34] 3,894,938
Sargodha Punjab 3.6 ±0.3 2017–18[34] 3,696,212
Bahawalpur Punjab 3.9 ±0.4 2017–18[34] 3,669,176
Sheikhupura Punjab 3.7 ±0.3 2017–18[34] 3,460,004
Qasur Punjab 4.3 ±0.3 2017–18[34] 3,454,881
Okara Punjab 4.3 ±0.4 2017–18[34] 3,040,826
Bahawalnagar Punjab 3.7 ±0.3 2017–18[34] 2,975,656
Karachi Central Sindh 2.2 ±0.3 2018–19[35] 2,971,382
Khanewal Punjab 4.0 ±0.4 2017–18[34] 2,920,233
Vehari Punjab 3.8 ±0.3 2017–18[34] 2,902,081
Karachi East Sindh 3.2 ±0.4 2018–19[35] 2,875,315
Dera Ghazi Khan Punjab 5.4 ±0.5 2017–18[34] 2,872,631
Gujrat Punjab 3.1 ±0.2 2017–18[34] 2,756,289
Jhang Punjab 4.3 ±0.4 2017–18[34] 2,742,633
Korangi Sindh 2.5 ±0.3 2018–19[35] 2,577,556
Sahiwal Punjab 3.6 ±0.4 2017–18[34] 2,513,011
Khairpur Sindh 4.8 ±0.8 2018–19[35] 2,405,190
Mardan KPK 4.0 ±0.3 2019[36] 2,373,399
Swat KPK 4.5 ±0.5 2019[36] 2,308,624
Quetta Balochistan 4.7 ±0.3 2019-20[37] 2,269,473
Hyderabad Sindh 3.0 ±0.4 2018–19[35] 2,199,928
Toba Tek Singh Punjab 3.5 ±0.3 2017–18[34] 2,191,495
Sanghar Sindh 4.2 ±0.4 2018–19[35] 2,049,873
Islamabad ICT 3.0 ±0.3 2017–18[25] 2,003,368
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Estimates from the United Nations

In July 2022, the United Nations published its 2022 World Population Prospects, a biennially-updated database where key demographic indicators are estimated and projected worldwide down to the country level. They prepared the following estimates of demographic indicators in Pakistan for every year from 1950 to 2021, as well as projections for future decades.[5] This data includes Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

More information Year, Mid-year population ...
Year Mid-year
population		 Live births Deaths Annual
natural
increase		 CBR CDR RNC Crude migration rate (per 1,000) IMR TFR Life expectancy (Male) Life expectancy (Female)
1950 37,696,264 1,647,739 1,173,219 474,520 43.7 31.1 12.6 263.4 6.80 36.2 33.4
1951 38,215,785 1,686,378 1,121,858 564,520 44.1 29.4 14.8 -1.0 252.9 6.80 37.5 34.6
1952 38,816,777 1,727,288 1,089,817 637,471 44.5 28.1 16.4 -0.7 243.3 6.80 38.6 35.8
1953 39,488,228 1,768,524 1,063,098 705,426 44.8 26.9 17.9 -0.6 234.1 6.80 39.8 36.9
1954 40,224,090 1,810,574 1,044,277 766,297 45.0 26.0 19.0 -0.4 225.6 6.80 40.7 37.9
1955 41,023,128 1,853,944 1,022,153 831,791 45.2 24.9 20.3 -0.4 217.4 6.80 41.8 39.0
1956 41,884,995 1,900,510 1,008,574 891,936 45.4 24.1 21.3 -0.3 209.6 6.80 42.7 39.8
1957 42,808,511 1,948,801 993,703 955,098 45.5 23.2 22.3 -0.3 202.2 6.80 43.7 40.7
1958 43,794,993 1,999,584 981,704 1,017,880 45.6 22.4 23.2 -0.2 195.2 6.80 44.6 41.6
1959 44,843,639 2,049,555 970,149 1,079,406 45.7 21.6 24.1 -0.2 188.7 6.80 45.5 42.5
1960 45,954,226 2,102,786 961,020 1,141,766 45.7 20.9 24.8 0 182.6 6.80 46.3 43.4
1961 47,060,915 2,157,005 951,411 1,205,594 45.8 20.2 25.6 -1.5 176.7 6.80 47.2 44.2
1962 48,161,841 2,201,790 939,942 1,261,848 45.6 19.5 26.2 -2.8 171.2 6.80 48.0 45.0
1963 49,325,050 2,247,761 922,383 1,325,378 45.5 18.7 26.8 -2.6 166.0 6.80 48.8 46.3
1964 50,552,592 2,293,167 907,551 1,385,616 45.3 17.9 27.4 -2.5 161.2 6.80 49.7 47.4
1965 51,841,626 2,340,733 897,333 1,443,400 45.1 17.3 27.8 -2.3 157.5 6.80 50.3 48.5
1966 53,199,414 2,388,085 869,523 1,518,562 44.8 16.3 28.5 -2.3 153.2 6.80 51.6 50.0
1967 54,629,793 2,438,389 854,112 1,584,277 44.6 15.6 29.0 -2.1 149.9 6.80 52.6 51.2
1968 56,124,743 2,483,692 840,624 1,643,068 44.2 15.0 29.2 -1.8 147.0 6.80 53.5 52.3
1969 57,676,805 2,524,648 831,202 1,693,446 43.7 14.4 29.3 -1.6 144.5 6.80 54.2 53.3
1970 59,290,872 2,584,996 818,806 1,766,190 43.5 13.8 29.8 -1.8 142.1 6.80 55.0 54.6
1971 60,878,781 2,648,206 985,142 1,663,064 43.4 16.2 27.3 -0.5 145.5 6.80 49.0 52.2
1972 62,509,565 2,712,779 838,978 1,873,801 43.3 13.4 29.9 -3.1 137.9 6.81 55.4 55.1
1973 64,285,624 2,785,335 852,459 1,932,876 43.3 13.2 30.0 -1.6 136.0 6.81 55.5 55.5
1974 66,149,169 2,853,960 874,080 1,979,880 43.1 13.2 29.9 -0.9 134.3 6.81 55.4 55.6
1975 68,126,999 2,931,237 882,423 2,048,814 43.0 13.0 30.1 -0.2 132.5 6.81 55.8 56.2
1976 70,230,923 3,015,342 900,018 2,115,324 42.9 12.8 30.1 0.8 131.0 6.81 55.9 56.5
1977 72,451,105 3,116,181 922,294 2,193,887 43.0 12.7 30.3 1.3 129.6 6.80 55.8 56.9
1978 74,789,330 3,223,019 934,553 2,288,466 43.1 12.5 30.6 1.7 128.1 6.78 56.3 57.4
1979 77,407,341 3,337,688 950,235 2,387,453 43.2 12.3 30.9 4.1 126.6 6.76 56.5 58.1
1980 80,624,057 3,487,787 970,044 2,517,743 43.5 12.1 31.4 10.2 125.1 6.73 56.8 58.6
1981 84,270,202 3,700,274 1,001,060 2,699,214 44.2 11.9 32.2 13.0 123.6 6.70 57.1 59.3
1982 87,828,198 3,903,191 1,035,663 2,867,528 44.6 11.8 32.7 9.5 122.1 6.67 57.4 59.8
1983 91,080,372 4,067,866 1,057,064 3,010,802 44.7 11.6 33.1 3.9 120.5 6.64 57.7 60.5
1984 94,003,867 4,188,905 1,075,240 3,113,665 44.5 11.4 33.1 -1.0 118.8 6.62 58.0 61.0
1985 97,121,552 4,291,612 1,100,992 3,190,620 44.2 11.4 32.9 0.3 117.0 6.59 58.5 60.4
1986 100,618,523 4,453,073 1,131,849 3,321,224 44.3 11.3 33.0 3.0 115.2 6.55 58.8 60.3
1987 104,251,093 4,602,418 1,185,062 3,417,356 44.2 11.4 32.8 3.3 113.3 6.52 58.5 59.8
1988 107,967,838 4,749,506 1,208,574 3,540,932 44.0 11.2 32.8 2.9 111.5 6.48 58.5 60.4
1989 111,670,386 4,877,528 1,229,672 3,647,856 43.7 11.0 32.7 1.6 109.6 6.43 58.7 60.7
1990 115,414,069 4,979,805 1,238,482 3,741,323 43.1 10.7 32.4 1.1 107.8 6.36 59.0 61.4
1991 119,203,569 5,070,548 1,256,930 3,813,618 42.5 10.5 32.0 0.8 105.9 6.29 59.4 61.3
1992 122,375,179 5,146,942 1,290,628 3,856,314 41.8 10.5 31.3 -4.7 103.9 6.21 59.6 60.7
1993 125,546,615 5,116,844 1,309,418 3,807,426 40.8 10.4 30.3 -4.4 101.7 6.11 59.6 60.4
1994 129,245,139 5,188,381 1,321,834 3,866,547 40.1 10.2 29.9 -0.4 99.5 6.01 59.7 60.6
1995 133,117,476 5,214,150 1,355,586 3,858,564 39.2 10.2 29.0 1.0 97.2 5.89 59.5 60.4
1996 137,234,810 5,283,367 1,351,457 3,931,910 38.5 9.9 28.7 2.2 94.7 5.77 59.9 61.1
1997 141,330,267 5,323,160 1,363,688 3,959,472 37.7 9.7 28.0 1.8 92.3 5.64 59.9 61.5
1998 145,476,106 5,391,873 1,360,060 4,031,813 37.1 9.4 27.7 1.6 89.9 5.51 60.2 62.1
1999 149,694,462 5,457,820 1,350,165 4,107,655 36.5 9.0 27.5 1.5 87.5 5.39 60.8 62.8
2000 154,369,924 5,503,880 1,349,760 4,154,120 35.8 8.8 27.0 4.2 85.3 5.26 61.2 63.1
2001 159,217,727 5,621,718 1,365,265 4,256,453 35.3 8.6 26.8 4.6 83.3 5.12 61.4 63.6
2002 163,262,807 5,707,878 1,383,913 4,323,965 34.9 8.5 26.4 -1.0 81.5 5.01 61.7 63.7
2003 166,876,680 5,705,869 1,389,323 4,316,546 34.1 8.3 25.8 -3.7 79.8 4.89 61.9 64.0
2004 170,648,620 5,728,041 1,397,637 4,330,404 33.5 8.2 25.3 -2.7 78.4 4.69 61.9 64.4
2005 174,372,098 5,741,665 1,467,794 4,273,871 32.9 8.4 24.5 -2.7 77.9 4.59 61.2 64.0
2006 178,069,984 5,780,328 1,397,071 4,383,257 33.2 7.9 25.3 -3.4 75.7 4.59 62.1 65.7
2007 181,924,521 5,939,254 1,421,100 4,518,154 33.3 7.8 25.4 -3.2 74.5 4.55 61.9 66.1
2008 185,931,955 6,026,112 1,440,035 4,586,077 33.6 7.8 25.8 -2.6 73.1 4.52 61.9 66.5
2009 190,123,222 6,126,953 1,466,094 4,660,859 33.6 7.7 25.9 -2.0 71.8 4.47 62.1 66.5
2010 194,454,498 6,251,649 1,479,575 4,772,074 33.5 7.7 25.8 -1.7 70.5 4.40 62.3 66.9
2011 198,602,738 6,344,791 1,497,860 4,846,931 33.0 7.6 25.5 -3.0 68.8 4.31 62.5 67.1
2012 202,205,861 6,416,601 1,518,663 4,897,938 32.5 7.5 25.0 -6.0 67.1 4.20 62.7 67.2
2013 205,337,562 6,432,644 1,512,911 4,919,733 31.9 7.4 24.5 -8.3 65.5 4.12 63.0 67.6
2014 208,251,628 6,374,716 1,522,217 4,852,499 31.3 7.3 24.0 -9.0 63.8 4.06 63.1 67.7
2015 210,969,298 6,297,466 1,504,820 4,792,646 30.7 7.2 23.5 -9.6 62.1 3.99 63.5 68.2
2016 213,524,840 6,291,208 1,510,500 4,780,708 30.0 7.0 22.9 -10.2 60.4 3.90 63.7 68.3
2017 216,379,655 6,289,965 1,496,276 4,793,689 29.7 6.9 22.8 -8.7 58.8 3.90 64.0 68.8
2018 219,731,479 6,302,081 1,508,129 4,793,952 29.3 6.9 22.5 -6.3 57.1 3.86 64.2 69.0
2019 223,293,280 6,689,991 1,562,917 5,127,074 29.0 6.8 22.2 -5.3 55.5 3.81 64.6 69.1
2020 227,196,741 6,726,852 1,715,724 5,011,128 28.6 7.3 21.3 -3.4 53.9 3.77 63.9 68.8
2021 231,402,117 6,797,293 1,731,352 5,065,941 28.4 7.2 21.2 -1.9 52.3 3.72 63.8 68.6
2022 6,855,375 1,587,284 5,268,091 28.1 6.5 21.6 3.66
2023 6,882,058 1,600,313 5,281,745 27.8 6.5 21.3 3.61
2024 6,887,798 1,619,471 5,268,327 27.4 6.4 21.0 3.55
2025 6,909,545 1,640,577 5,268,968 27.1 6.4 20.6 3.50
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Life expectancy in Pakistan since 1921
Life expectancy in Pakistan since 1960 by gender

Human development

Human Development Index

Further information: List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index

Pakistan's Human Development Index (HDI) value for 2018 is in the medium human development category with a score of 0.560 (152nd rank out of 189 countries and territories) compared to 0.614 (135th rank) for Bangladesh and 0.647 (129th rank) for India. From 1990 to 2018, Pakistan's HDI increased 38.6% from 0.404 to 0.560.[39][40]

2018 Information on Pakistani provinces/regions, compared to other countries, estimated at three decimal places is provided below:[41]

More information Rank, Region ...
Rank Region HDI (2018)[41]
Medium human development
1 Islamabad Capital Territory 0.875 Decrease
2 Azad Jammu & Kashmir 0.611 Decrease
3 Gilgit-Baltistan 0.593 Increase
4 Punjab 0.567 Increase
–  Pakistan (average) 0.561 Increase
Low human development
5 Sindh 0.533 Decrease
6 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 0.529 Decrease
7 Balochistan 0.477 Increase
8 FATA 0.466 Decrease
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Literacy

Definition: A person who can read a newspaper and write a simple letter in any language with understanding and can make simple calculation is treated as literate. Literacy rates for the population over 10 years old as of 2023 are below.[16]

Total population
62.85%
Urban
77.09%
Rural
55.56%

Educational institutions by kind

Nationality, ethnicity, and language

Ethnic groups

Pakistan ethnic composition (2025)[44]
  1. Punjabis (44.7%)
  2. Pashtuns (15.4%)
  3. Sindhis (14.1%)
  4. Saraikis (8.40%)
  5. Muhajirs (7.60%)
  6. Baloch (3.60%)
  7. Others (6.30%)

The major ethnolinguistic groups of Pakistan include Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Saraikis,Muhajirs, Balochs, Hindkowans/Hazarewals, Meos, and Kohistanis[3][b] with significant numbers of Shina, Baltis, Kashmiris, Paharis, Chitralis, Hazaras, Burusho and other various minorities.[46][47]

Pakistan's census does not include the nearly 2 million Afghans,[48] who have been ordered to leave Pakistan or face deportation.[49] Majority of them were born in Pakistan within the last four decades and are ethnically Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks and others.[50]

Foreign-born population in Pakistan

Main article: Immigration to Pakistan

After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, millions of Muslims from India migrated to Pakistan and they are the largest group of foreign-born residents. This group is dwindling because of its age. The second-largest group of foreign-born residents consists of Afghans who have been ordered to leave Pakistan or face deportation.[49] There are also smaller groups of Muslim immigrants from countries such as Burma, Bangladesh, Iraq, Somalia, Iran, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, among others.[citation needed]

More information Year, Population ...
YearPopulationForeign bornPercentage foreign born
196046,259,0006,350,29613.73%
197059,565,0005,105,5568.57%
198079,297,0005,012,5246.32%
1990111,698,0006,555,7825.87%
2000142,648,0004,242,6892.97%
2005157,935,0003,254,1122.06%
Source:[51] Mostly those born before 1947
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Languages

Main article: Languages of Pakistan
Languages of Pakistan (2023 census)[45]
  1. Punjabi (37.0%)
  2. Pashto (18.1%)
  3. Sindhi (14.3%)
  4. Saraiki (12.0%)
  5. Urdu (9.25%)
  6. Balochi (3.38%)
  7. Hindko (2.32%)
  8. Brahui (1.16%)
  9. Mewati (0.46%)
  10. Kohistani (0.43%)
  11. Kashmiri (0.11%)
  12. Shina (0.05%)
  13. Balti (0.02%)
  14. Kalasha (0.00%)
  15. Others (1.38%)

Pakistan is a multilingual country with dozens of regional languages spoken as first languages by various ethnolinguistic groups.[52][53] The majority Pakistan's languages belong to the Indo-Iranian group of the Indo-European language family.[54][55]

Urdu is the national language and the lingua franca of Pakistan, and while sharing official status with English, it is the preferred and dominant language used for communication between different ethnic groups.[52][53] Despite Urdu being the country's lingua franca, estimates on how many languages are spoken in the country range from 75 to 85,[56][57] and in 2023, the country's three largest languages were Punjabi (being spoken by up to 36.98% of the total population), Pashto (18.15%), and Sindhi (14.31%).[16] Languages with more than a million speakers each include Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, Urdu, Balochi, Hindko, Brahui, Mewati and Kohistani.[58][59]

Ethnologue lists 74 languages in Pakistan. Of these, 66 are indigenous and 8 are non-indigenous. In terms of their vitality, 7 are classified as 'institutional', 17 are 'developing', 37 are 'vigorous', 10 are 'in trouble', and 3 are 'dying'.[60]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Pakistan
Religion in Pakistan (2023 census)[16]
  1. Islam (96.3%)
  2. Hinduism (2.17%)
  3. Christianity (1.37%)
  4. Others (0.11%)
Largest Enumerated Non-Muslim Religious Community in Pakistan as of the 2023 Census
Largest Religious Community other than Muslim in Modern Day Pakistan as of the 1941 Census

According to the World Factbook, Library of Congress, Oxford University, over 96% of the population of Pakistan is Muslim and the remaining 4% is Hindu, Christian, and others.[61][62][63] Majority of the Muslims practice Sunni with a significant minority of Shi'as.

Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi school, although there are some Hanbalis and Ahl-e-Hadees. The majority of Shia Muslims belong to the Ithnā'Ashariyyah branch,[61] while a smaller number practice Ismailism. There are small non-Muslim religious groups, including Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Baháʼís and Zoroastrians (Parsis),[64]

More information Religious group, Punjab ...
Religious groups in Pakistan (2023)[65][66][67]
Religious
group		 Pakistan[65][66][67] Punjab Sindh Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa		 Balochistan ICT AJK Gilgit-
Baltistan
Total
Population		 Percentage Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Islam 231,686,709 96.35% 124,462,897 97.75% 50,126,428 90.09% 40,486,153 99.62% 14,429,568 99.09% 2,181,663 95.55% N/a N/a N/a N/a
Hinduism 5,217,216 2.17% 249,716 0.2% 4,901,407 8.81% 6,102 0.02% 59,107 0.41% 884 0.04% N/a N/a N/a N/a
Christianity 3,300,788 1.37% 2,458,924 1.93% 546,968 0.98% 134,884 0.33% 62,731 0.43% 97,281 4.26% N/a N/a N/a N/a
Ahmadiyya 162,684 0.07% 140,512 0.11% 18,266 0.03% 951 0% 557 0% 2,398 0.11% N/a N/a N/a N/a
Sikhism 15,998 0.01% 5,649 0% 5,182 0.01% 4,050 0.01% 1,057 0.01% 60 0% N/a N/a N/a N/a
Zoroastrianism 2,348 0.001% 358 0% 1,763 0% 36 0% 181 0% 10 0% N/a N/a N/a N/a
Others
(inc. Kalashas, Baháʼís, Buddhists, Jews)		 72,346 0.03% 15,249 0.01% 38,395 0.07% 8,944 0.02% 8,810 0.06% 948 0.04% N/a N/a N/a N/a
Total responses 240,458,089 99.57% 127,333,305 99.72% 55,638,409 99.9% 40,641,120 99.47% 14,562,011 97.77% 2,283,244 96.59% N/a N/a N/a N/a
Total population 241,499,431 100% 127,688,922 100% 55,696,147 100% 40,856,097 100% 14,894,402 100% 2,363,863 100% N/a N/a N/a N/a
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Recent changes and detailed demographic data

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics released religious data of Pakistan Census 2017 on 19 May 2021.[68] 96.47% are Muslims, followed by 2.174% Hindus, 1.27% Christians, 0.09% Ahmadis and 0.02% others.

The 2017 census showed marginal increase in the share of Hindus.The census also recorded Pakistan's first Hindu-majority district, called Umerkot District.

On the other hand, Christianity in Pakistan, while increasing in raw numbers, has fallen significantly in percentage terms since the last census. Christians are concentrated in the most developed parts of Pakistan, Lahore District (over 5% Christian), Islamabad Capital Territory (over 4% Christian), and Northern Punjab.

The Ahmadiyya movement shrunk in size (both raw numbers and percentage) between 1998 and 2017, while remaining concentrated in Lalian Tehsil, Chiniot District, where approximately 13% of the population is Ahmadiyya.

Here are some maps of Pakistan's religious minority groups as of the 2017 census by district:
Hindu Proportion of each Pakistani District of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistani Census
Ahmadiyya Proportion of each Pakistani District of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistani Census
Christian Proportion of each Pakistani District of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistani Census
Virtually all people not belonging to one of these minority groups were Sunni or Shia Muslim, with the most religiously homogeneous areas found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistanis around the world

Main article: Pakistani diaspora
Saudi Arabia4,000,000
United Arab Emirates1,600,000
United Kingdom1,200,000
United States687,942[69]
Canada215,000[70]
Kuwait190,000
South Africa180,000[71]
Oman385,000
Australia61,913[72]
Germany179,668
Qatar52,500
France50,000
Norway39,257[73]
Denmark21,000
New Zealand10,000
Ireland9,501
Japan22,118[74]

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    This figure does not include data for Pakistan-administered areas of Kashmir; Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, which, according to 2017 Pakistani census, had a population of 4,045,367 and 1,492,924 respectively.[1][2]
  2. [b]
    Ethnolinguistic groups with a population of more than a million each.[45]

References

External links

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