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Table 5.4: Percentage of Housing Units by Nature of Tenure and Rural/Urban, Census-2017 and 2023 Table 5.5 highlights provincial differences in housing tenure from the 2023 Census. Balochistan with 85.76% and Punjab with 84.31% have the highest percentage of owned houses, reflecting a strong culture of homeownership, while Sindh with 76.14% has the lowest ownership rate among the provinces. Sindh also has a relatively high rental rate with 15.78% compared to other provinces.
The percentage of rent-free housing is slightly higher in Balochistan 5.3% followed by
Sindh 5.36%, possibly due to joint-family living arrangements, while Punjab with 3.45% and
Islamabad with 2.49% have the lowest share.
Table 5.5 : Province wise Percentage of Housing Units by Nature of Tenure,
Census-2023
Tenure 2023 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Sindh Balochistan Islamabad Owned 83.98 84.31 76.14 85.76 53.27 Rented 10.27 10.55 15.78 6.22 36.35 Rent Free 4.48 3.45 5.36 5.3 2.49 Govt. House 0.7 0.9 1.01 0.91 6.98 Non-Govt. House 0.05 0.13 0.24 0.07 0.14 Others 0.52 0.66 1.47 1.75 0.76 Number of Households 5,861,457 19,839,980 9,862,870 2,317,256 410,993
III. Contraction Material of House
Census-2023 collects information regarding pacca house, semi pacca house and kacha house.
Pacca house is defined as a well-constructed, permanent or concrete house made of durable
materials such as bricks, cement and steel etc. The roof and walls of a pacca house are made
from durable materials like cement concrete, burnt bricks, jack board, timber or stone. Semi
pacca house is defined as house made of pre- fabricated material. It also includes house either
roof or wall made of pre-fabricated material. The house having roof made of cement and wall
made up of ply wood are also declared as semi pacca house. Kacha house includes the houses
Tenure
2017
2023
All Areas
Rural
Urban
All Areas
Rural
Urban
Owned
Percent
82.14
89.00
70.87
81.91
88.94
71.02
Rented
Percent
11.53
3.78
24.27
11.87
4.15
23.82
Rent Free
Percent
6.33
7.22
4.86
4.20
5.32
2.45
Govt.
House
Percent
0.96 0.27 2.03 Non- Govt. House Percent
0.14 0.15 0.14 Others Percent
0.91 1.16 0.53 Number of Households 31,915,884 19,837,143 12,078,741 38,292,556 23,268,867 15,023,689
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
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where walls are made of bamboo, mud or ply wood/ card board and roof is made by cement/ iron sheet or garder / T-iron or pre-fabricated material. The Pacca, Semi Pacca and Kacha House aims to assess the affordability and accessibility of housing, tracking changes in construction costs and property values. It is fundamental to a country's development as it provides a foundation for stability and security, enabling individuals and families to invest in their future. The analysis informs policy decisions, helping governments and stakeholders address housing shortages and promote affordable housing initiatives.
In rural areas of Pakistan majority of houses have kacha structures with 28.94%. Pacca houses
are 67.46 %, higher in urban areas with 87.25% as compared to rural areas with 54.69%. Semi
pacca houses are higher in rural areas as compared to urban areas with 16.37%.
IV. Province Wise Analysis of Pacca Houses
Table 5.6 illustrates the distribution of Pacca, Semi-Pacca, and Kacha houses across Pakistan’s
provinces. Pacca houses, built with durable materials like concrete and bricks, are most
common in Islamabad with 97.35% and Punjab with 80.80%, indicating better infrastructure.
Sindh with 57.69% and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 55.57% have moderate percentages, while
Balochistan with 19.64% has the lowest, reflecting underdeveloped housing conditions.
Semi-Pacca houses, made from a mix of durable and temporary materials, are more common in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 19.58% and Balochistan with 16.78%, while Punjab with 11.93% and Sindh with 9.19% have lower percentages.
Kacha houses, constructed from mud and other temporary materials, are highly prevalent in Balochistan with 63.58% and rural Sindh with 61.01%, highlighting severe housing inadequacies. Sindh overall has a significant proportion with 33.11%, while Punjab with 7.26% and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 24.85% have lower percentages.
The data reflects stark regional and urban-rural disparities in housing quality, with Islamabad and Punjab showing the most developed housing infrastructure, while Balochistan and rural Sindh face severe housing challenges. Pacca House Semi Pacca House Kacha House
Total Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total Rural Urban
67.46 54.69 87.25 12.58 16.37 6.70 19.96 28.94 6.05
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
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Table 5.6: Percentage of Pacca, Semi Pacca and Kacha Houses by Provinces, Census-2023
Construction Material
2023
Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa
Punjab Sindh
Balochistan
Islamabad
Pacca
House
Total
55.57
80.80
57.69
19.64
97.35
Rural
50.35
72.99
27.25
10.65
98.38
Urban
83.90
92.06
85.62
42.50
96.09
Semi Pacca
House
Total
19.58
11.93
9.19
16.78
1.21
Rural
21.67
16.41
11.74
15.62
0.91
Urban
8.23
5.49
6.86
19.73
1.58
Kacha
House
Total
24.85
7.26
33.11
63.58
1.44
Rural
27.98
10.60
61.01
73.73
0.71
Urban
7.86
2.45
7.52
37.77
2.33
V. District Wise Analysis of Pacca Houses
The Pacca house concentration in Pakistan aims to assess the affordability and accessibility of
housing, tracking changes in construction costs and property values. This analysis informs
policy decisions, helping governments and stakeholders address housing shortages and
promote affordable housing initiatives.
The average structure of house breakdown identifies that across 136 districts percentage pacca house is 67.46%. The districts with pacca house is higher than the national average of 67.46%, are 48, whereas, 88 districts fall below the national average of pacca house. This average serves as a benchmark to assess the socioeconomic development, urbanization, and housing quality disparities across districts, enabling targeted interventions and policy decisions to bridge the gaps and promote equitable growth and development.
The pacca house concentration across the districts reveal a diverse distribution (Figure
5.2). The data, categorized as follows:
• Up to 20.0% Pacca House: The 40 districts with up to 20% Pacca House ownership
require urgent government attention and targeted interventions.
• 20.1% to 40.0% Pacca House: The 23 districts with Pacca House rates between 20-
40% indicate moderate levels of socioeconomic development and urbanization. This
range suggests a balance between rural and urban populations, with opportunities for
targeted investments to further improve housing quality and infrastructure.
• 40.1% to 60.0% Pacca House: The 16 districts with Pacca house rates between 40-
60% indicate better economic stability and infrastructure development. This range
suggests a strong foundation for middle-class growth and moderate urbanization.
• 60.1% to 80.0% Pacca House: there are 29 districts in this range. Suggesting a well-
educated population with improved living standards and economic stability.
• 80.1% and Above Pacca House: 28 districts achieve this high pacca house level,
indicating exceptional educational attainment and socioeconomic prosperity.
While analysing districts it is observed that out of 136 districts of Pakistan, Pacca housing unit
is reported in Karachi South with 97.4% while other districts with Pacca housing unit are
district with Islamabad 97.4%, district Karachi Central with 96.5%, district Korangi with
96.5% and district Lahore with 96.3%
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
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Figure 5.2: District Wise Pacca Housing Units Pakistan, Census-2023 By analyzing the low ranked districts in terms of Pacca house, the Lowest percentage is observed in district South Waziristan 2.8%. The other districts with lower percentage of Pacca houses are district South Waziristan 2.8 %, Surab 3.0%, district Washuk 3.1 %, district Jhal Magsi with 3.2% and district Killa Abdullah 3.2%. The reason for lower percentage of pacca houses is due to many factors like limited resources, lack of infrastructural resources, Rural- urban migration & traditional norms etc. VI. Period of Construction The period of construction of a house refers to the specific time frame or year in which the house was built. This information helps in assessing the age of the house, its structural condition, and the materials used during construction. It is often categorized into different time periods for census, real estate, and urban planning purposes. As reflected in Table 5.7, 3.07% of the owned houses were found under construction in the Census -2023. The recent trend of under construction houses is higher in rural areas as compared to urban areas. It is found that in rural area vast majority of houses i.e. 33.64% are relatively newly constructed within a period of 10-19 years and in urban areas the majority i.e. 33.49% lies within a period of 10-19 years followed by 31.02% within 20-49 years. The proportion of house built for 10 to 19 years remains the highest with 33.58%, whereas the house under constructed remains the lowest with 3.07%.
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Table 5.7:Percentage of Owned Housing Units by Period of Construction and Rural/Urban, Census-2023
Table 5.8 presents the 2023 Census data on the construction period of owned housing units across Pakistan’s provinces. The percentage of houses currently under construction is highest in Balochistan with 7.71%, followed by Sindh with 5.28%, indicating ongoing housing development in these regions. In contrast, Punjab with 1.67% and Islamabad with 1.36% have the lowest percentages, suggesting a slower pace of new construction.
Houses built in the last three years are most prevalent in Balochistan with 18.97%, followed by Sindh with 16.84%, reflecting relatively newer housing stock. Punjab with 10.2% and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 8.47% have fewer new constructions, while Islamabad stands at 11.35%.
The majority of houses in all provinces fall within the 10 to 19-years category, with Punjab having the highest proportion at 37.04%, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 32.89% and Islamabad with 33.47%. Sindh and Balochistan have slightly lower percentages at 28.79% and 26.22%, respectively.
Older housing stock, built between 20 to 49 years ago, is most common in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 30.19%, followed by Punjab with 25.52% and Islamabad with 24.39%. Sindh with 22.64% and Balochistan with 18.31% have relatively fewer houses in this category, indicating more recent development.
Houses aged 50 years and above are most prevalent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 8.5%, followed by Balochistan with 7.43%, showing that traditional housing structures remain in use. Punjab with 3.48% and Islamabad with 4.85% have the lowest share of such old houses, reflecting more modern housing trends.
Overall, the data shows that Balochistan and Sindh have a higher share of new housing developments, while Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have older yet more established residential areas. Islamabad has a balanced mix of housing ages, with a relatively lower proportion of newly built and very old houses.
Period of Construction 2023 All Areas Rural Urban All Categories 100 100 100 Under Construction 3.07 3.74 2.03 3 years and below 3 12.19 13.91 9.52 4-9 years 21.25 23.31 18.05 10-19 years 33.58 33.64 33.49 20-49 years 25.05 21.19 31.02 50 years and above 4.86 4.20 5.87 Number of Households 38,292,556 23,268,867 15,023,689