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The working-age population,15-64 years is highest in Islamabad with 63.40% and Punjab with 57.78% , suggesting a relatively more balanced demographic structure. Balochistan has the lowest share with 48.23%, implying a higher dependency burden.
For older age groups 40-65 years and 65+ years, Punjab and Islamabad again show higher percentages, with Islamabad having the largest share of people aged 65 and above with 4.31%. This indicates a gradually aging population in these regions compared to Balochistan, which has the smallest elderly proportion 2.11%, highlighting a much younger population profile. 4.2.3 Dependency Ratio The dependency ratio is the proportion of dependents (young and elderly) to the working-age population. A high dependency ratio indicates more economic pressure on the workforce to support non-working individuals. A low dependency ratio suggests a larger working population relative to dependents, easing economic strain.
Table 4.10 shows that the overall age dependency ratio for all sexes is 78.92% as compared to 78.65% in Census 2017. The age dependency ratio for male is 79.86%, female is 77.96% and for transgender is 8.11%. the age dependency ratio is much higher in rural areas i.e. 86.24% compared to urban areas as 68.46%. Table 4.10: Population of Province by Sex and Age Groups, Census-2023
Table 4.11 shows that the dependency ratio varies significantly across regions and rural /urban areas of Pakistan. Balochistan has the highest dependency ratio with 107.35%, which means that there are more dependents than working-age individuals in rural areas 113.90% experiencing an even greater burden. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 87.67% and Sindh with 81.31% also have high dependency ratios, particularly in rural regions, where Sindh reaches 97.84%, as compare to 69.23% in urban areas. Punjab with 73.06% shows a more balanced dependency ratio, though still higher in rural 78.17% than urban areas 66.08%. Islamabad has the lowest dependency ratio 57.72%, reflecting a strong working-age population and lower economic pressure. Overall, urban areas consistently have lower dependency ratios than rural regions, highlighting better economic opportunities and demographic balance in cities.
Dependency ratio 2017 2023 All Areas Rural Urban All Areas Rural Urban All Sexes 78.65 87.44 65.12 78.92 86.24 68.46 Male 80.95 91.56 65.24 79.86 88.07 68.41 Female 76.32 83.38 65.03 77.96 84.37 68.55 Transgender 8.86 12.27 6.23 8.11 12.11 6.92
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Table 4.11: Province Wise Age Dependency Ratio Census-2023 Dependency ratio 2023 All Areas Rural Urban Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 87.67 90.73 72.01 Punjab 73.06 78.17 66.08 Sindh 81.31 97.84 69.23 Balochistan 107.35 113.90 93.37 Islamabad 57.72 58.79 56.47 4.2.4 Marital Status The Census- 2023 also provides information on population distribution by marital status i.e married, never married, widowed, divorced and seperated. Table 4.12 shows the percentage distribution of population by marital status and age sex for persons aged 15 years and above. The data shows that overall 29.75% are never married, 66.12% are currently married, 3.78% are widowed, 0.35% are divorced and 0.15% are separated (separated category introduced in Census-2023 and included in married category. Table 4.12: Number and Percentage of Population (15 Years And Above) by Marital Status and Age Groups: Census – 2023 Province/Area Census-2023 Total Never Married Married Widowed Divorced Pakistan Total 142,924,350 42,524,711 94,499,824 5,400,798 499,017 Percent 100 29.75 66.12 3.78 0.35 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Total 22,980,957 6,672,554 15,586,866 694,694 26,843 Percent 100 29.04 67.83 3.02 0.12 Punjab Total 78,673,948 23,598,193 51,360,627 3,345,906 369,222 Percent 100 29.99 65.28 4.25 0.47 Sindh Total 32,392,442 9,586,422 21,546,766 1,168,165 91,089 Percent 100 29.59 66.53 3.61 0.28 Balochistan Total 7,330,880 2,181,322 4,994,184 147,619 7,755 Percent 100 29.75 68.13 2.01 0.11 Islamabad Total 1,546,123 486,220 1,011,381 44,414 4,108 Percent 100 31.45 65.41 2.87 0.27 Figure 4.2 illustrates the marital status of the population aged 15 years and above according to the Census-2023. The data shows that 66.12% of individuals in this age group are married, making it the dominant category, while 29.75% have never married, reflecting factors such as delayed marriage, educational pursuits, or economic considerations. A small segment only 4% is widowed, potentially indicating demographic trends, life expectancy differences, or cultural practices regarding remarriage. Notably, the divorced category is reported at 0%, suggesting that divorce is either rare or underreported, likely influenced by socio-cultural norms. Overall, the distribution highlights the prominence of marriage within the adult population, while also underscoring the socio-economic and cultural contexts that shape marital decisions.
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Figure 4.2: Percentage Distribution of Population (15 Years And Above) by Marital Status- Census 2023 Figure 4.3 highlights the province-wise distribution of the married population in Pakistan as a percentage of the total married population. Punjab dominates with the highest share of 54.35%, followed by Sindh at 22.80%. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounts for 16.49%, while Balochistan contributes 5.28%. Islamabad has the smallest percentage, making up only 1.07% of the total. Collectively, Punjab and Sindh form the majority, encompassing over three-quarters of the married population. This data showcases significant demographic variations across provinces.
Figure 4.3: Percentage Distribution of Province Wise Marrird Population - Census 2023
29.75 66.12 4% 0% Never Married Married Widowed Divorced 17% 54% 23% 5% 1% KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA PUNJAB SINDH BALOCHISTAN ISLAMABAD
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Figure 4.4 highlights notable differences in marital status between males and females. The percentage of never-married males 34.13% is higher than that of females 25.09%, indicating a gender disparity in singlehood. In contrast, a higher proportion of females 68.51% are married as compared to males 63.59%. The widowed population is also significantly higher among females 5.76% than males 1.91%, likely due to differences in life expectancy and remarriage patterns. The overall age pattern of marital status plays a crucial role in shaping fertility rates and future population growth. Figure 4.4: Percentage Distribution of Province Wise Married Population - Census 2023 4.2.5 Marital Status of Females in Reproductive Age Groups Figure 4.5 illustrates the distribution of marital status across urban, rural, and total population. The majority of individuals are married with 68.64%, in rural areas showing a higher proportion as compared to urban areas. The second most common category is Never Married with 29.44%, where urban areas slightly exceed rural percentages. 1.41% females are widowed makeing up a small proportion with similar values across all categories, while 0.38% are Divorced whereas 0.13% separated. Overall, the Urban and Rural distributions closely mirror the Total percentages, emphasizing the dominance of the Married and Never Married groups in the population. Figure 4.5: Percentage Distribution of Marital Status of females of reproductive age by Region Census-2023 29.44 68.64 1.41 0.38 0.13 24.81 73.50 1.43 0.17 0.10 32.94 64.96 1.40 0.54 0.16 Never Married Married Widowed Divorced Sepration Total Rural Urban 34.13 63.59 1.91 0.23 0.13 25.09 68.51 5.76 0.48 0.16 Never Married Married Widowed Divorced Sepration Female Male
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Figure 4.6 illustrates the marital status distribution among females across different reproductive age groups (15–49 years). It reveals that marriage is the predominant status across all age groups. 93.17% of Married women observed in the age group of 35-39 years while, women aged 20–24, have a higher proportion of individuals who are 44.24% "Never Married" which decreases as age increases. Widowed and divorce are more noticeable in older age groups, indicating shifts in marital status with age. Separation is consistently minimal across all age ranges. Overall, the chart highlights the dynamic nature of marital status throughout a woman's reproductive years.
Figure 4.6: Percentage Distribution of Female of Reproductive Age (15-49 Years) by Marital Status : Census-2023
4.3 Distribution of Population by Religion and Mother Tongue
4.3.1 Population Distribution by Religion
The Population of Pakistan is predominantly Muslim, with the majority i.e. 231,68 million
with 96.35 % reported as Muslim. The rural areas have 96.47% of Muslims, wheras urban
areas stand at 96.16%. The percentage of total non-muslim population recorded in Census-
2023 is 3.65%. The largest among minorities are Hindus i.e. 3.9 million with 1.61 % followed
by Christians i.e. 3.3 million with 1.37 %. The number of christian population in urban areas
has been recorded as 2.24%.Figure 4.7 illustrate the percentage of Non-Muslims. The total
Non-Muslims population according to Census-2023 is 8.771 Million. Hindu Jati has the
highest share among the Non-Muslims population with a percentage of 44.09% while
Qadiani/Ahmadi has the lowest share with a percentage of 2.0%. Scheduled castes, Christians
and Others contributes 15.39%, 37.63% and 1.03% respectively among the Non-Muslims
population.
30.44
84.97
44.24
18.63
8.00
4.08
2.75
2.22
67.56
14.92
55.23
80.34
90.27
93.17
92.53
90.20
1.39
0.03
0.16
0.40
0.89
1.80
3.72
6.58
0.46
0.06
0.27
0.49
0.65
0.73
0.76
0.73
0.15
0.03
0.09
0.14
0.18
0.21
0.24
0.27
1 5 - - 49
15 - - 19
2 0 - - 24
25 - - 29
30 - - 34
35 - - 39
40 - - 44
45 - - 49
Never Married
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Sepration
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Figure 4.7: Percentage of Population by Non-Muslims
Table 4.13 provides religious demographic information based on the Census- 2023 data by
province. The distribution varies across provinces where Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
Balochistan are almost absolute Muslim majority provinces, while highest number of non-
Muslims reside in Sindh, followed by Punjab. The trends are same as compared to census
2017, the only difference is in improvement in reporting of scheduled caste by clear
differentiation between Hindu and scheduled caste. Provincial analysis also shows variations
in non-Muslim population. Sindh has the highest proportion of non-Muslims, with 6.43 percent
Hindus and 2.38 percent Scheduled Castes, making it the most religiously diverse province.
Punjab follows, with 1.93 percent Christians and 0.18 percent Hindus. Islamabad ranks next,
with 4.26 percent Christians, the highest Christian proportion in any region. Balochistan and
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have the lowest non-Muslim populations, with Christians forming the
largest minority at 0.43 percent and 0.33 percent, respectively.
Table 4.13: Number and Percentage of Population by Religion :
Census year 2023 by Province
Province/ Area
Census-2023
Total
Muslim
Christian
Hindu
Qadiani/
Ahmadi
Scheduled
Castes
Others
Pakistan
Total
240,458,089 231,686,709 3,300,788 3,867,729
162,684
1,349,487
90,692
Percent
100
96.35
1.37
1.61
0.07
0.56
0.04
Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa
Total
40,641,120
40,486,153
134,884
5,473
951
629
13,030
Percent
100
99.62
0.33
0.01
0.002
0.001
0.03
Punjab
Total
127,333,305
24,462,897
2,458,924
228,559
140,512
21,157
21,256
Percent
100
97.75
1.93
0.18
0.11
0.02
0.02
Sindh
Total
55,638,409
50,126,428
546,968
3,575,848
18,266
1,325,559
45,340
Percent
100
90.09
0.98
6.43
0.03
2.38
0.08
Balochistan
Total
14,562,011
14,429,568
62,731
57,010
557
2,097
10,048
Percent
100
99.09
0.43
0.39
0.003
0.01
0.07
Islamabad
Total
2,283,244
2,181,663
97,281
839
2,398
45
1,018
Percent
100
95.55
4.26
0.04
0.11
0.001
0.04
38%
44%
2%
15%
1%
Christian
Hindu
Qadiani/Ahmadi
Scheduled Castes
Others