Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 184
availability across 136 districts stands at 84.03%. The districts with electricity rates higher than
the average of 84.03% are 59. Whereas, 77 districts, or over half of Pakistan's total, have
electricity rates under the average. This average provides a baseline for evaluating the equitable
distribution of electricity across Pakistan's districts.
District-wise electricity rates show a wide disparity. The data, categorized into different
electricity rate brackets, is as follows:
• Up to 20.0% Electricity: 5 districts i.e. District Sherani, District Kohlu, District Kolai
Palas Kohistan, District Awaran, District Tharparkar fall into this category, indicating
that availability of electricity is very low and need policy intervention.
• 20.1% to 40.0 % Electricity: There are 1 6 districts that have electricity rates within
this range, reflecting low levels of electricity. Most of the districts in this range are from
Balochistan province.
• 40.1% to 60.0% Electricity: There are 25 districts where electricity rates fall into this
bracket, suggesting efficient energy supply systems. Most of the districts in this range
are from Balochistan and Sindh province.
• 60.1% to 80.0% Electricity : There are 26 districts in this range, showing moderate
rate of electricity and suggesting a better electricity scenario compared to the previous
categories.
• 80.1% and Above Electricity : The largest group with 6 5 districts, shows that
significant households in these districts have electricity as a source of lighting,
indicating widespread electrification. Majority of the districts in this range are from
Punjab.
Figure 5.9: District Wise Electricity as a Source of Lighting Pakistan, Census-2023
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 185
In Islamabad 97 percent households are using electricity as source of Lighting. While comparing district Karachi Central, Abbottabad, Korangi, Karachi South and Narowal with 99% are the top ranked district within their respective province. Whereas district like Tharparkar, Kohlu, Kolai Palas Kohistan, Awaran and Sherani are the lowest in ranking with range of 19% to only 2% houses with availability of electricity as main source of light. The districts stand in the low rank owing to many factors like remote and scattered population, scarce resources, inadequate infrastructure, inefficient transmission and distribution of electric supply, traditional norms & security concerns etc. III. Fuel Used for Cooking In the Census-2023, Fire wood remains the major source of fuel used for cooking, with 52.72% of households relying on it. However, its usage has declined from 58.44% in Census -2017, indicating a gradual shift toward alternative fuels. Natural Gas (Sui Gas) is being used by 37.83% of housing units in Census-2023. The categories of LPG/LNG, Electricity, Biogas and Dung cake have been included in Census-2023 with 4.20%, 0.11%, 0.11% and 3.88% respectively. The other sources of cooking fuel have also decreased from 3.51% reported in Census-2017 to 1.02% in Census-2023.
The reliance on wood is significantly higher in rural areas, where 75.16% of households use it, compared to only 17.97% in urban areas. Natural gas/Sui gas remains the second most common cooking fuel, with an overall usage of 37.83% in 2023, showing a slight decline from 37.86% in 2017. The availability of Sui Gas is highly skewed toward urban areas, where 73.92% of households rely on it, whereas in rural areas, its usage is limited to only 14.53% as depicted in Table 5.17. LPG/LNG is used by 4.20% of households, with a higher prevalence in urban areas at 6.21% compared to 2.91% in rural areas. The use of kerosene oil for cooking has declined from 0.19% in 2017 to 0.12% in 2023, with rural areas reporting a slightly higher reliance at 0.16%, compared to only 0.06% in urban areas. These findings indicate a shift toward cleaner energy sources, though rural areas remain largely dependent on traditional fuels like wood and dung piles. Expanding access to modern cooking fuels such as Natural /Sui Gas and LPG/LNG, especially in rural regions, remains a key challenge for sustainable energy development in Pakistan. 52.72% 37.83% 4.20% 0.12% 0.11% 0.11% 3.88% 1.02%
Fire Wood Electricity Bio Gas Dung Cake Others
Natural/
Sui Gas
Kerosene
Oil
LPG/LNG
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 186
Table 5.17: Number of Housing Units By Sources of Cooking Fuel Used, Census-2017 and 2023 *LPG/LNG (Cylinder), Electricity, Bio gas and Dung Piles were not included in Census-2017. Province Wise Analysis of Electricity Main Fuel Used for Cooking The Census 2023 data on cooking fuel usage across Pakistan's provinces reveals significant regional variations, as shown in Table 5.18. Fire wood remains the dominant cooking fuel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 71.38% and Balochistan with 70.06%, indicating a heavy reliance on traditional biomass, while Punjab stands at 49.94% and Sindh at 44.8% showing considerable usage. In contrast, Islamabad has the lowest dependence on wood at 13.16%, as modern fuels are more accessible.
Census 2023 information revealed that use of Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG in
Sindh province is highest with 47.37% followed by Punjab with 39.43% and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa with 22.56% reflecting better gas infrastructure in these areas. Whereas
Balochistan records the lowest rates among the four provinces. Notably, most districts in
Balochistan have Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG penetration of only up to 10%.
Table 5.18: Province wise Percentages of Housing Units by Cooking Fuel Used, Census-2023
Fuel Used for Cooking
2023
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Punjab
Sindh
Balochistan
Islamabad
Wood
71.38
49.94
44.8
70.06
13.16
Sui Gas
22.56
39.43
47.37
17.86
61.54
LPG/LNG(Cylinder)
2.9
5.4
1.94
3.27
24.31
Kerosene Oil
0.06
0.04
0.17
0.73
0.06
Electricity
0.15
0.08
0.08
0.47
0.05
Bio Gas
0.06
0.08
0.19
0.2
0.13
Dung Piles
1.91
4.34
4.07
4.77
0.05
Others
0.99
0.68
1.38
2.64
0.7
Number of Housing Units
5,861,457
19,839,980
9,862,870
2,317,256
410,993
Fuel Used for Cooking
2017
2023
All Areas
Rural
Urban
All Areas
Rural
Urban
Wood
Number
18,652,61
9
16,175,168
2,477,451
20,188,669
17,488,204
2,700,465
Percent
58.44
81.54
20.51
52.72
75.16
17.97
Sui Gas
Number
12,082,36
6
2,862,798
9,219,568
14,485,324
3,380,382
11,104,942
Percent
37.86
14.43
76.33
37.83
14.53
73.92
Lpg/Lng(Cylinder)
Number
1,609,038 676,413 932,625 Percent
4.20 2.91 6.21 Kerosene Oil Number 60,942 42,819 18,123 45,166 36,632 8,534 Percent 0.19 0.22 0.15 0.12 0.16 0.06 Electricity Number
43,824 27,443 16,381 Percent
0.11 0.12 0.11 Bio Gas Number
43,796 27,559 16,237 Percent
0.11 0.12 0.11 Dung Piles Number
1,484,558 1,356,478 128,080 Percent
3.88 5.83 0.85 Others Number 1,119,957 756,358 363,599 392,181 275,756 116,425 Percent 3.51 3.81 3.01 1.02 1.19 0.77 Number of Housing Units 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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District Wise Analysis of main fuel i.e Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG used for Cooking
Availability of Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG for cooking purpose provide an environment
friendly solution for sustainable growth. Figure 5.10 depicts district wise utilization of Natural
Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG for cooking purpose showing disparity within the provinces.
The highest Natural Gas(Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG utilization among 136 Districts of
Pakistan is in Islamabad (85.85%) while other districts with highest rates are District Karachi
Central with 98.67%, District Korangi with 98.65%, District Karachi South with 97.17%,
District Karachi East with 95.18% and District Lahore with 92.08%.Whereas Upper Kohistan
stands with 0.42%, Kolai Palas Kohistan with 0.53%, Torghar with 0.62%, Kohlu with 0.65%,
district Barkhan with 0.66%, are the bottom district within their respective province.
The Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG utilization across the districts reveal a diverse distribution. The data, categorized into different Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG rate brackets, is as follows:
• Up to 10.0% Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG: The largest group with 45 districts where Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG utilization fall into this bracket suggesting a critical need for targeted interventions to improve energy access and infrastructure in these districts.
• 10.1% to 20.0% Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG: 30 districts where Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG utilization fall within this range, indicating incremental progress in energy access, but still requiring focused efforts to bridge the gap and achieve universal coverage.
• 20.1% to 30.0% Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG: 19 districts where Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG utilization fall into this bracket, suggesting significant progress in Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG adoption.
• 30.1% to 40.0% Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG: 9 districts fall within this bracket, indicating higher.
• 40.1% and Above Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG: 33 districts have achieved an impressive GAS/LPG/LNG utilization of 40.1% or higher, indicating better access and economic development.
By analyzing the low ranked districts in terms of percentage of households using Natural Gas(Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG utilization, the Lowest Natural Gas(Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG percentage has been observed in District Upper Kohistan with 0.42% while District Barkhan with 0.66%, District Kohlu with 0.65%, District Torgarh with 0.62% and District Kolai Palas Kohistan with 0.53% have slight better share than Upper Kohistan but still lies at lowest ranked districts in terms of usage of Natural Gas(Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG.
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 188
Figure 5.10: District Wise Sui Gas and LPG/LNG Pakistan, Census-2023 The districts stand in the low rank owing to many factors like remote terrain, resource scarcity, infrastructure gaps, entrenched traditional norms, and ongoing security concerns etc. The district Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG comparison is also illustrated in the Figure 5.11. The Purple and red vertical dashed lines represent national and provincial average of Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG. All districts bars shown in descending order with respect to out of percentages of Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG.
Pakistan's district-level average utilization of Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG stands at 42.03%. While 30 districts exceed this benchmark, 106 fall below it, highlighting significant disparities in fuel availability across the country. This national average serves as a vital reference point for identifying and addressing inequalities in the distribution of these fuel resources.
Provincial trends reveal even deeper disparities, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Balochistan, only 7 districts surpass the already low provincial average, and just 1 district exceeds the national benchmark. Quetta, the provincial capital, reports the highest percentage of Natural Gas (Sui Gas)/LPG/LNG facility usage in the province. In Sindh, only 8 districts are above the provincial average, and just 10 exceed the national threshold. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa only 4 districts are above the nationat average and 9 districts are above the provincial average; Peshawar leads the province with 62.16% of its population utilizing these facilities. These figures underscore the urgent need for targeted efforts to improve fuel availability, particularly in underserved regions.
Punjab, in contrast, performs significantly better, with Lahore standing out as the top- performing district where 92.08% of the population has access to these fuel sources.