Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 127
Table 4.4 illustrates population percentage as per urban localities. The number of urban localities in Census- 2023 is 657, increasing from 586 in Census-2017. Urban localities disaggregated by population size shows that despite having only 46 localities, the highest percentage of population i.e. 55.15% resides in the high population group i.e. 500,000 and above. Whereas for the population size less than 50,000, only 10.265 of total urban population resides covering 3258 urban localities.
This contrast highlights the concentration of the urban population in larger cities, while smaller localities contribute less to the total urban population. It also points out to a broader trend of urbanization in Pakistan, where larger cities are growing at a faster rate than smaller ones. In Census-2023 urban localities have been counted as per notification by the respective Provincial/Local Government Departments including Cantonment Boards. Table 4.4: Number of Urban Localities by Population Size : Census-2023 4.1.5 Population of Major Cities A city is an urban locality or agglomeration of more than one urban locality. According to the Census-2023 results, there are thirteen cities* with a population of more than one million and their total population accounts for 26.31% of Pakistan’s total population and 56.55% of its total urban population. The largest city of Pakistan is Karachi with a population of 18.8 million having a share of 7.8 % of Pakistan’s total population and 20% of Pakistan’s urban population. Lahore is the second largest city with a population of 13 million followed by Faisalabad with a population of 3.6 million and Rawalpindi with 3.3 million. The population of these four cities accounts for 16.11 % of the total population, which means that every sixth person in Pakistan lives in these four major cities. During the intercensal period of 2017-2023, Rawalpindi being declared is the fastest growing city followed by Quetta. Table 4.5 gives the population of the thirteen largest cities of Pakistan as recorded in Censuses conducted from 1951 to 2023. Population Size Group No. of Localities Population Percent of Population 500,000 and Above 46 51,781,590 55.15 200,000 to 499,999 43 12,474,448 13.29 100,000 to 199,999 76 10,530,232 11.22 50,000 to 99,999 134 9,461,324 10.08 25,000 to 49,999 200 7,144,107 7.61 10,000 to 24,999 128 2,321,212 2.47 5000 to 9,999 18 134,826 0.14 Below 5000 12 36,963 0.04 Total 657 93,884,702 100
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 128
Table 4.5: Population of Major Cities : Since 1951 4.2 Population Distribution by Sex, Age and Marital Status 4.2.1 Sex Ratio The sex ratio is considered to be an important demographic indicator showing the number of males per hundred females in a population and is reflective of the gender balance in the country. It is greatly affected by sex differentials in mortality and migration as well as under or over enumeration of male and female population. The sex ratio, in turn affects fertility, mortality, migration, labour force composition and other related factors.
According to the Census-2023, the overall sex ratio in Pakistan is 106.2 as shown in Table 4.6. The sex ratio has increased from 104.9 in Census-2023 to 106.2. The sex ratio is
** Karachi Entire urban population of Karachi Division.
Lahore Entire Lahore District.
Faisalabad Faisalabad Muncipal Corporation.
Gujranwala Gujranwala Muncipal Corporation + Gujranwala Cantonment.
Peshawar Peshawar Muncipal Corporation + Peshawar Cantonment.
Multan Multan Muncipal Corporation + Multaan Cantonment.
Rawalpindi Rawalpindi Muncipal Corporation + Rawalpindi Cantonment + Chaklala Cantonment.
Hyderabad Hyderabad Muncipal Corporation + Qasimabad Muncipal Committee
- Hyderabad Cantt.
Islamabad Urban Population ofIslamabad.
Quetta Quetta Muncipal Corporation + Quetta Cantonment.
Bahawalpur Bahawalpur Muncipal Corporation + Bahawalpur Cantonment.
Sargodha Sardogha Muncipal Corporation + Sargodha Cantonment.
Sialkot Sialkot Muncipal Corporation + Sialkot Cantonment.
City*33 1951 1961 1972 1981 1998 2017 2023 1 Karachi 1,068,459 1,912,598 3,515,402 5,208,132 9,339,023 14,884,402 18,868,021** 2 Lahore 849,333 1,296,477 2,169,742 2,952,689 5,443,495 11,119,985 13,004,135 3 Faisalabad 179,127 425,248 823,343 1,104,209 2,008,861 7,882,444 9,075,819 4 Rawalpindi 236,877 304,175 614,809 694,834 1,409,768 5,402,380 6,118,911 5 Gujranwala 120,852 196,154 323,880 600,993 1,132,509 5,011,066 5,959,750 6 Multan 190,122 358,201 538,949 732,070 1,197,384 4,746,166 5,362,305 7 Hyderabad 241,801 434,537 628,631 751,529 1,166,894 2,199,928 2,432,540 8 Peshawar 151,435 217,885 272,697 566,248 982,816 4,331,959 4,758,762 9 Quetta 83,892 106,633 158,026 285,719 759,941 2,269,473 2,595,492 10 Islamabad
76,641 204,364 529,180 1,009,003 1,108,872 11 Sargodha 78,447 129,291 200,460 291,362 458,440 3,696,212 4,334,448 12 Sialkot 156,378 167,294 203,650 302,009 421,502 3,894,938 4,499,394 13 Bahawalpur 41,646 84,377 133,782 180,263 408,395 3,669,176 4,284,964
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 129
slightly higher in urban areas as108.1 compared to rural areas as105.0 of Pakistan. This may
attributed to the migratory pattern of males to urban centres for work and education .
The sex ratio at birth in the Census-2023 is 105.2 decreasing from 106.3 since the Census-
2017. In rural and urban areas, the sex ratios at birth are 105.3 and 104.9 respectively. Looking
at sex ratios by age groups, the overall sex ratio for ages below 15 years is recorded as 106.3,
whereas the sex ratio for working-age population between the ages 15-64 years is 105.1 males
per hundred females. The sex ratio for the 65 years and above population has increased from
109.4 in 2017 to 122.5 in 2023. The age pattern of sex ratios is reflective of the changes in
components of demographic change, i.e., fertitlity, mortlity and migration that needs further
analysis of data.
Table 4.6: Sex Ratio by Selected Age Groups and Rural/Urban : Census Year 2017 and 2023
Ages
Sex Ratio (2017)
Sex Ratio (2023)
All Areas
Rural
Urban
All Areas
Rural
Urban
All ages
104.91
103.59
107.24
106.20
105.00
108.12
At birth
106.28
106.55
105.75
105.17
105.32
104.90
Less than 15 years
108.34
108.87
107.24
106.43
106.42
106.44
15 – 64 years
102.22
99.17
107.11
105.09
102.94
108.24
65 + years
109.36
109.24
109.60
122.46
120.50
125.77
Table 4.7 shows the sex ratios by various administrative units of Pakistan. It is observed that
the sex ratio is highest in Islamabad with 112.6, followed by Balochistan 109.5, Sindh 108.8,
Punjab 105.3 and KP 104.3. Further analysis is required to explain varying sex ratios among
provinces. It is pertinent to mention that big urban center has usualy higher sex ratios due to
migration of males from small cities and rural areas especially fro work.
Table 4.7: Sex Ratio by Administrative Units Rural/Urban
4.2.2 Age Structure
The interaction of births, deaths, and migration has a considerable impact on the demographic
behavior and emerging socio-economic characteristics of any society. However, like other
developing countries, age reporting is not very accurate in Pakistan. This could be ascribed to
illiteracy and ignorance about ages, and age heaping (tendency or digital preferences to report
ages ending in 0 and 5 followed by even numbers.
According to the Census-2023, the population less than 15 years of age is 40.56% of the total population, reflective of high fertility levels. The population share below the age of five years is 15.17%, and below one year old is 2.15% of the total population. Moreover, more
Census– 2017 Census– 2023 Administrative Units All Areas Rural Urban All Areas Rural Urban Pakistan 104.91 103.59 107.24 106.20 105.00 108.12 KP 102.54 101.37 107.74 104.25 103.86 106.51 Punjab 103.41 102.15 105.59 105.24 104.18 106.80 Sindh 108.29 107.54 108.99 108.79 106.89 110.45 Balochistan 110.82 110.46 111.78 109.45 109.85 108.50 ICT 110.68 108.21 113.18 112.60 109.80 116.03
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 130
than half of the population of Pakistan i.e., 55.89% lies in the working -age group of 15-64 years. The age group of 65 years and above represents only 3.55% of the total Pakistan population. The age group representing youth (15 to 24 years) constitutes 18.56% of the total population and the age group of 15 to 29 years constitutes 26% of the total population, indicating that about 66.6% of population is below the age of 29 years, which is approximately 160 million people. The adult population above the age of 18 years has a share of the total population as 53.23%.
Table 4.8 portrays the distribution of population by age group and sex. The male population comprises of 51.5% of the total population, whereas the female population constitutes 48.5%. The age group with the highest number of people is 0 to 4 years, with percentage shares of 7.8% and 7.4% for males and females respectively. The percentage shares show a progressively decreasing trend for higher age groups indicating a young population.
Less than 1 year Total: 2.15% Male: 2.16% Female : 2.18% Less than 5 years Total: 15.17% Male: 15.14% Female : 15.20%
Less than 10 years Total: 28.59% Male: 28.52% Female : 28.67%
Less than 15 years Total: 40.56% Male: 40.61% Female : 40.52% 15-24 years Total: 18.56% Male: 18.50% Female : 18.62% 18 & above Total: 53.23% Male: 53.08% Female : 53.38%
15-64 years Total: 55.89% Male: 55.59% Female : 56.19% 65& above Total: 3.55% Male: 3.79% Female : 3.29%
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 131
Table 4.8: Population by Sex and Age Groups: Census – 2023 The Census 2023 population data reveals a broad base, highlighting a high proportion of younger individuals, with approximately 80% of the population being under the age of 40. As the population structure moves upward through the age brackets, there is a noticeable decline, reflecting a relatively smaller working-age and older population. This pattern indicates a youthful demographic profile, where the majority are in the younger age group, and there is a tapering in the middle-aged and senior segments. Such a demographic distribution suggests potential for future growth but also presents challenges related to employment, education, and the eventual need for increased support for an aging population in the years to come.
Table 4.9 portrays the age distribution data across different regions of Pakistan with notable variations. Younger age groups form a significant proportion of the population, with Balochistan having the highest percentage in all categories under 15 years, reaching 49.66% for those below 15. Islamabad, in contrast, has the lowest percentage of young individuals, reflecting an older demographic. Table 4.9: Province Wise Percentage of Population for various Age Groups: Census-2023 Age Groups Male Female Total*
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent All Ages 123,845,012 51.5 116,613,077 48.5 240,458,089 100 00-04 18,744,989 7.8 17,726,432 7.4 36,471,421 15.2 05-09 16,566,852 6.9 15,705,284 6.5 32,272,136 13.4 10-14 14,973,045 6.2 13,817,137 5.7 28,790,182 12.0 15-19 12,584,225 5.2 11,569,893 4.8 24,154,118 10.0 20-24 10,326,849 4.3 10,141,864 4.2 20,468,713 8.5 25-29 8,950,199 3.7 9,016,962 3.7 17,967,161 7.5 30-34 7,733,666 3.2 8,026,004 3.3 15,759,670 6.6 35-39 7,316,551 3.0 7,047,727 2.9 14,364,278 6.0 40-44 6,473,516 2.7 6,063,242 2.5 12,536,758 5.2 45-49 5,096,271 2.1 4,624,839 1.9 9,721,110 4.0 50-54 4,220,110 1.8 3,827,003 1.6 8,047,113 3.3 55-59 3,455,969 1.4 2,933,026 1.2 6,388,995 2.7 60-64 2,706,476 1.1 2,278,774 0.9 4,985,250 2.1 65-69 1,920,994 0.8 1,651,505 0.7 3,572,499 1.5 70-74 1,385,959 0.6 1,076,494 0.4 2,462,453 1.0 75+ 1,389,341 0.6 1,106,891 0.5 2,496,232 1.0 Age Groups Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Sindh Balochistan Islamabad Less than 1 Year 1.92 2.27 2.08 2.33 1.23 Less than 5 Years 15.62 14.38 15.69 19.56 10.40 Less than 10 Years 30.55 26.64 29.93 36.18 21.30 Less than 15 Years 43.45 38.21 41.78 49.66 32.28 15-24 Years 19.04 18.39 18.37 19.43 18.51 18 & Above 50.00 55.77 51.99 43.36 61.77 15-64 Years 53.28 57.78 55.16 48.23 63.40 40-65 Years 15.49 19.11 17.52 12.33 21.92 65 & Above 3.26 4.00 3.06 2.11 4.31