Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
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Table 5.8: Provincial Percentages of Owned Housing Units by Period of Construction, Census-2023 Period of Construction 2023 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Sindh Balochistan Islamabad Under Construction 2.38 1.67 5.28 7.71 1.36 3 years and below 3 8.47 10.2 16.84 18.97 11.35 4-9 years 17.58 22.09 21.58 21.36 24.58 10-19 years 32.89 37.04 28.79 26.22 33.47 20-49 years 30.19 25.52 22.64 18.31 24.39 50 years and above 8.5 3.48 4.87 7.43 4.85 Number of Households 5,861,457 19,839,980 9,862,870 2,317,256 410,993
VII. Construction Material Used for Outer Walls Quality of housing units and living standards can be assessed through the construction material used for the walls and roofs of the housing units. In Census 2023, different categories like Baked Bricks/Blocks/Stones, Unbaked Bricks/ Mud, Wood/Bamboo, Plywood/ Cardboard, Pre-Fabric & others were asked to assess the housing construction material as depicted in following Table. Majority of houses with 73.30% in Census-2023 have reported that their walls are made of baked bricks/ blocks/ stones as compared to 74.25% reported in Census-2017. The percentage is higher in urban areas with 90.32% as compared to 62.31% in rural areas in Census-2023. Moreover, the walls made of unbaked bricks with mud bonding is 28.66% in rural areas and 7.35% in urban areas in the Census-2023.
The use of wood bamboo for construction of walls has decreased slightly from 5.37% in Census-2017 to 4.53% in Census-2023. The concentration is higher in rural areas with 6.65% as compared to 1.23% only in urban areas.
The categories of Plywood/Cardboard and Pre-Fabric have been included in Census- 2023. Nominal houses reported these categories with 0.08% and 0.06% in rural areas and for urban areas 0.04% and 0.07% respectively.
Quality indices of construction regarding outer walls are shown in the Table 5.9`:
73.30% 20.30% 4.53% 0.07% 0.06% 1.74%
Baked Bricks
/Blocks/Stone
Unbaked
Bricks/ Mud
Wood/
Bamboo
Plywood/
Cardboard
Pre-Fabric
Other
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
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Table 5.9: Number and Percentage of Housing Units by Construction Material Used for Outer Walls, Census-2023 Construction Material 2017 2023 All Areas Rural Urban All Areas Rural Urban Baked Bricks / Blocks / Stones Number 23,697,939 12,740,291 10,957,648 28,067,958 14,499,070 13,568,888
Percent 74.25 64.22 90.72 73.30 62.31 90.32 Unbaked Bricks / Mud Number 5,866,688 5,119,185 747,503 7,773,166 6,668,312 1,104,854
Percent 18.38 25.81 6.19 20.30 28.66 7.35 Wood / Bamboo Number 1,714,628 1,499,733 214,895 1,736,239 1,547,408 188,831
Percent 5.37 7.56 1.78 4.53 6.65 1.26 Plywood/Cardboard Number
26,053 19,367 6,686
Percent
0.00 0.07 0.08 0.04 Pre-Fabric Number
24,045 13,153 10,892
Percent
0.06 0.06 0.07 Others Number 636,629 477,934 158,695 665,095 521,557 143,538
Percent 1.99 2.41 1.31 1.74 2.24 0.96 Number of Households 31,915,884 19,837,143 12,078,741 38,292,556 23,268,867 15,023,689 *Plywood/Cardboard and Pre-Fabric has been added in Census-2023 Regional variations in building practices and infrastructure development across Pakistan’s provinces is depicted in Table 5.10. Durable structures made of baked bricks, blocks, or stones are most common in Islamabad with 97.71% and Punjab with 86.6%, while Balochistan has the lowest at 22.36%, reflecting a reliance on traditional materials.
Mud and unbaked bricks are widely used in Balochistan with 61.02%, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 28.29% and Sindh with 23.79%, whereas Punjab and Islamabad have significantly lower shares, indicating a shift toward modern housing.Temporary materials like wood and bamboo are prevalent in Sindh with 12.32% and Balochistan with 9.55%, but minimally used in Punjab and Islamabad. Plywood, cardboard, and pre-fabricated materials remain rare across all regions.
Balochistan and Sindh have the highest percentage of mixed or alternative materials, reflecting informal housing trends, also depends on traditional construction methods, underscoring regional development gaps. Table 5.10: Province wise Percentages of Housing Units by Construction Material Used for Outer Walls, Census-2023 Construction Material (Outer Walls) 2023 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Sindh Balochistan Islamabad Baked Bricks / Blocks / Stones 67.16 86.6 61.15 22.36 97.71 Unbaked Bricks / Mud 28.29 11.84 23.79 61.02 1.53 Wood / Bamboo 2.72 0.7 12.32 9.55 0.35 Plywood/Cardboard 0.05 0.02 0.15 0.2 0.02 Pre-Fabric 0.03 0.03 0.12 0.16 0.04 Others 1.74 0.82 2.47 6.71 0.35 Number of Households 5,861,457 19,839,980 9,862,870 2,317,256 410,993
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
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VIII. Construction Material Used for Roofs The use of material for construction of roofs is also used to assess the living standards and to collect data for appropriate policy making for disasters. In Pakistan the highest percentage of material used for roofs is Garder/T. Iron with 35.81%. The category of Pre-Fabric has been included in Census-2023 with the share of 0.24%. The data for this category was not available in Census-2017. The use of unspecified material in construction of roofs has decreased from 2.07% in Census-2017 to 1.94% in Census-2023.
Table 5.11 reveals that the rural areas have predominately higher percentage of housing units i.e. 41.97% which have roofs constructed using Garder/T. Iron as compared to 26.28% in urban areas. The second most prominent method used in pakistan for roof is RCC/RBC with 32.03%. This clearly depicts that in urban areas majority i.e. 56.14% used RCC/RBC while in rural areas the most prevalent is Garder/T.Iron followed by Wood/Bamboo. Almost 1/3 of houses 26.28% in urban areas are also using Garder/T.Iron as material of construction for roofs. Table 5.11: Number and Percentage of Housing Units by Construction Material Used for Roofs, Census-2023 Construction Material 2017 2023 All Areas Rural Urban All Areas Rural Urban RCC/RBC Number 6,472,565 2,230,064 4,242,501 12,265,098 3,831,457 8,433,641
Percent 24.69 12.63 49.56 32.03 16.47 56.14 Cement/Iron Sheet Number 1,514,670 881,072 633,598 2,436,900 1,171,023 1,265,877
Percent 5.78 4.99 7.40 6.36 5.03 8.43 Garder/T-Iron Number 10,945,632 8,238,008 2,707,624 13,712,540 9,764,984 3,947,556
Percent 41.75 46.66 31.63 35.81 41.97 26.28 Wood/Bamboo Number 6,740,002 5,884,985 855,017 9,043,480 7,885,764 1,157,716
Percent 25.71 33.33 9.99 23.62 33.89 7.71 Pre-Fabric* Number
92,558 33,851 58,707
Percent
0.24 0.15 0.39 Others Number 542,549 421,285 121,264 741,980 581,788 160,192
Percent
2.07
2.39
1.42
1.94
2.50
1.07
Number of Households
26,215,418
17,655,414
8,560,004
38,292,556
23,268,867
15,023,689
*Pre-Fabric was added in Census-2023
Table 5.12 shows that RCC/RBC roofs, which are durable and commonly used in urban areas,
are most prevalent in Islamabad at 85.26%, demonstrating a high level of modern construction.
Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have similar adoption rates at 34.03% and 35.16%,
RCC/RBC Cement/Iron Sheet Garder/T.Iron Wood/Bamboo Pre-Fabric Others
32.03%
6.36%
35.81%
23.62%
0.24%
1.94%
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respectively, while Sindh lags slightly at 29.9%. Balochistan has the lowest percentage at 6.64%, indicating a reliance on traditional and less permanent roofing materials.
Garder/T-Iron roofs, a semi-permanent option, are most common in Punjab at 47.74%, showing a regional preference for cost-effective but durable roofing. Sindh follows with 26.16%, Balochistan with 23.53%, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 18.59%.
Wood and bamboo roofs, which are traditional and more common in rural or less developed areas, are predominant in Balochistan at 58.78% and Sindh at 33.45%. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also has a significant share at 33.79%, while Punjab has a much lower rate at 12.08%.
Cement and iron sheet roofing, often used as an affordable alternative, is most used in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 9.91%, followed by Sindh at 7.34%. Punjab and Islamabad have lower shares at 5.16% and 6.76%, respectively, while Balochistan has the least at 3.46%.
Pre-fabricated roofing remains rare across all provinces, with Sindh and Balochistan showing slightly higher adoption at 0.55% and 0.58%, respectively. Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have minimal usage at 0.08% and 0.14%.
Overall, the data highlights significant regional differences in roofing materials. Islamabad and Punjab have a strong inclination toward modern and durable structures, while Balochistan and rural Sindh continue to rely on traditional materials like wood and bamboo. These disparities reflect differences in economic development, infrastructure availability, and regional construction trends. Table 5.12: Province wise Percentages of Housing Units by Construction Material Used for Roofs, Census-2023 Construction Material ( Roofs) 2023 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Sindh Balochistan Islamabad RCC/RBC 35.16 34.03 29.9 6.64 85.26 Cement/Iron Sheet 9.91 5.16 7.34 3.46 6.76 Garder/T-Iron 18.59 47.74 26.16 23.53 6.15 Wood/Bamboo 33.79 12.08 33.45 58.78 1.37 Pre-Fabric* 0.14 0.08 0.55 0.58 0.09 Others 2.4 0.91 2.6 7.02 0.37 Number of Households 5,861,457 19,839,980 9,862,870 2,317,256 410,993
5.1.2 Availability of Facilities in Housing Units I. Source of Drinking Water In Census 2023, information has been collected from households about the main source of drinking water. The main categories include Tap Water, Motorized Pump, Hand Pump, Dug Well, Spring, Bottle Water, Filtration Plant and Tanker/Truck/Water bearer.
Easy access to drinking water serves as an index of quality living. For the first time category of Bottled Water, Filtration Plant and Tanker/Water Bearer has been added in Census
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2023 to reflect ground trends. The availability of drinking water through all sources in the Pakistan reported in the Census-2017 and Census-2023.
Table 5.13 reveals that 63.63% of households in census 2023 reported that their main source of drinking water is inside of the house as compared to 86.09% in 2017. The detailed analysis of data depicts that the percentage of households with the main source of drinking water outside house in Census 2023 is higher with 33.66 % as compared to 13.91% only in 2017, categories wise analysis revels that this is mainly due to the inclusions of Tanks/Water Bearer with 8.86%, Bottled water with 4.38% and Filter plant with 19.05%. The percentages are highest in urban areas with 14.57%, 10.03% and 35.30% respectively mainly due to quality of water supply at home, which is not suitable for drinking. This shows the diverse trends in the water access and in quality in Urban/Rural areas. Table 5.13: Number and Percentage of Housing Units by Source of Drinking Water and Rural/Urban, Census-2017 and 2023 Sources of Drinking Water 2017 2023 All Areas Rural Urban All Areas Rural Urban Inside the House 27,475,469 16,558,459 10,917,010 25,403,691 15,460,998 9,942,693 86.09 83.47 90.38 66.34 40.38 25.97 Tap water 38.01 32.26 46.71 38.30 33.38 45.95 Motor pump/hand pump(bore hole) 51.43 54.83 46.28 57.44 61.45 51.20 Protected well 2.66 3.44 1.49 2.42 3.22 1.17 Un-protected well 1.26 1.82 0.40 0.27 0.38 0.10 Others 6.64 7.64 5.12 1.57 1.57 1.57 Outside the House 4,440,415 3,278,684 1,161,731 2,888,865 7,807,869 5,080,996 13.91 16.53 9.62 33.66 33.56 33.82 Tap water 21.88 21.58 22.73 20.62 23.64 15.97 Motor Pump/Hand Pump(bore hole) 23.54 23.77 22.91 23.06 26.94 17.10 Protected Well 5.26 6.58 1.53 3.62 5.42 0.86 Un-Protected Well 4.91 6.39 0.73 3.58 5.61 0.46 Bottled Water*
4.38 0.70 10.03 Spring 7.70 10.11 0.90 7.23 11.63 0.48 Canal/River/Pond 11.13 13.35 4.87 5.88 8.08 2.51 Filtration Plant*
19.05 8.48 35.30 Tanker/Water Bearer*
8.86 5.15 14.57 Others 25.58 18.23 46.33 3.71 4.36 2.71 Number of Households 31,915,884 19,837,143 12,078,741 38,292,556 23,268,867 15,023,689 Figure 5.3 illustrates that main source used inside the house for drinking water is Motor Pump/Hand Pump water with 57.44% followed by Tap with 38.30% which has increased trend as compared to Census 2017 with 51.43% and 38.01% inside drinking water concentration in Pakistan.