Socio Economic Indicators of Sindh at District Level
Government of Pakistan
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
M/o Planning Development & Special Initiatives
Islamabad
www.pbs.gov.pk
DR. NAEEM UZ ZAFAR Chief Statistician Government of Pakistan Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
Tel:0519106515 Fax: 0519106561 Email: [email protected] Website:www.pbs.gov.pk
RIZWAN BASHIR
Director
Social Statistics
Government of Pakistan
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
Tel: 0519106530
Email:[email protected]
FOREWORD
The "Social Economic Indicators of Sindh up to District level"
report is a comprehensive document that serves as a crucial
resource for a wide array of professionals, from demographers to
policy makers. It offers a detailed analysis of various socio
economic indicators, which are essential for assessing the
effectiveness of policies and programs implemented in the
province. The report's second edition, following the 2023 & 2017
population and housing census, marks a significant update from
its predecessor published two decades ago. It reflects the
changes and developments in key areas such as population
dynamics, educational attainment, agricultural productivity,
healthcare provision, and crime statistics, among others.
The meticulous efforts of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and the Social Statistics Section
staff in compiling this report underscore their commitment to providing valuable data that can inform
sustainable development goals. I would also commend the effort of all provincial and federal ministries and
departments for provision of data for compilation of this report . The report not only aids in understanding
the current socioeconomic landscape but also assists in shaping future policies to address the needs and
challenges of Sindh's diverse districts.
The availability of this report on the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics website ensures that it is
accessible to those who wish to utilize this wealth of information for research, planning, or ec onomic
analysis.
The invitation for comments and suggestions highlights openness to collaborative
improvement, further enhancing the report's utility and relevance.
Dr. NaeemUzZafar, (SI)
Chief Statistician
Government of Pakistan
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
M/o Planning Development & Special Initiatives
Islamabad
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PREFACE
The publication in question is a significant effort in
gathering and preseting socio economic data for Sind h province at
the district level. It contains soci oeconomic indicators regarding
Sindh province at district level covering six major areas (1)
Population (2) Housing (3) Agriculture (4) Education (5) Health and
(6) Miscellaneous Indicators , including crime, r oad Accidents and
ICT etc.).
Social Indicator s report provides the detailed information
about the different social indicators , which are the needed for the
formulation of policy making , future projection s and comparison
with the past policies at the district level. Every effort ha s been
made to includ e the latest available data using secondary sources to make this report comprehensive
informative and useful document for planners, economist and researchers. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
appreciates all kind s of the cooperation provided by the provincial departments/agencies and Federal
Ministries for the timely supply of the requisite data.
I avail this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of entire team of Social Statistics Section
for compilation of the report . Any suggestion to improve the coverage and contents of the futu re update of
publication is welcomed and highly appreciated.
Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, (SI) Member SS/RM Government of Pakistan Pakistan Bureau of Statistics M/o Planning Development & Special Initiatives Islamabad
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This report provides an indepth analysis of the socioeconomic landscape across various districts of Sindh province, offering a granular view of the multifaceted factors that contribute to the well being and development of regions. Drawing from a wealth of fragmented districtlevel data, we aim to present actionable insights by ensuring that data also remain compareable across provinces that can inform policy decisions and foster sustainable growth. This was not possible with out extensive coordination and cooperation with the federal and provincial governments.
Our findings are designed to act as a n important resource for
stakeholders aiming to grasp and enhance their understanding of the socioeconomic dynamics within districts. The key data gathered is on population, housing, education, health, agriculture, Information Communication & Technology (ICT), crime and energy etc. , which is essential for informed decision making, projections and comparisons of policies even at the district level (Note: No sooner had we finalized this report than PBS published Census 2023 results; therefore, we included data from latest Census 2023 to make it more relevant ). PBS appreciates cooperation extended by the provincial departments/ag encies and Federal Ministries for supply of the requisite data. The Honorable Chief Statistician, Dr. NaeemuzZafar (SI), provided strategic oversight while Member SS/RM, Mr. Sawar Gondal (SI), played a key role in supporting the initiative. Chief Statistical Officer, Mrs A isha and Statistical Officer, Mrs Zahida were instrumental in coordination with stakeholders and finalization of tables. Finally, this initiative was supported by the administrative and technical efforts of my dedicated Statistical Assistants, Mr. Munir, Mrs. Munaza, Mrs. Shahla, and Mr. InamulHaq, along with steno typist, Mr. Shabbir.
Rizwan Bashir Director Social Statistics Government of Pakistan Pakistan Bureau of Statistics M/o Planning Development & Special Initiatives Islamabad
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Executive Summary
Sindh, the second most populous province of Pakistan with a population of 55.7 million according to the 7th Housing and Population Census 2023, faces significant challenges and opportunities in the sectors of education, health, and population management. This summary highlights the current status, progress, challenges, and strategic recommendations for improvement in these critical areas up to di strict level. All the indicators capture d in this report are based on secondary data collected from different pro vincial & federal organizations such as Bureau of Statistics Sindh (Sindh Development Statistics), BISEs Sindh, Crime Branch, Central Police Of fice, Divisional Directorate of Excise & Taxation Lahore , Pakistan Film Exhibitor Association (Regd.) Lahore , Inspector General of Police Sindh , Pakistan Television Corporation, Islamabad, Pakistan Post Office Islamabad, Karachi Electric Supply Corporation and Sui Southern Gas Co. Ltd. (Formally Karachi ad Indus Gas Company Limited) and various section‟s of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Population Growth Overview: The population size in 2023 has experienced 16.38% increase as compared to the last population census. The average annual growth rate is reported as 2.57% in 2023, which is much higher than previous growth rate observed in census, 2017 . This is alarming because population annual growth trend, which was showing decline for the past many years has reversed in the recent years. The rapid population growth exacerbates issues associated with education, healthcare and other facilities, which leads to overcrowded schools, pressures on healthcare facilities and food in security etc. It appears, family planning services are underutilized due to various reasons and concerted efforts are required to control higher birth rates.
Age Distribution : The population of Sindh is predominantly consist of you th 41.78%people are concentrated in agegroup less than 15, while 55.16 % of population falls in the age group of 15 -64, and merely 3.06% is aged 65 and above as per Census, 2023. The age structure impacts workforce availability and social service needs. Ho wever, high population growth rate poses serious challenge s for achieving many SDGs by 2030.
Urbanization and Housing: In Sindh 53.97% of the population resides in urban areas, reflecting ongoing urbanization trends. This shift has implications for infrastructure and housing demands. Housing indicators can help the policy makers to understand the housing landscape, identify areas for im provement, and inform policy decisions. Utilizing clear and effective visual representation of data can significantly enhance communication and engagement with the community. The total number of housing units in Sindh are reported as 9.87 million as per ce nsus, 2023 out of which76.14% are „owned housing unit s, 15.78% are „rented‟, 5.36 % are „rentfree‟ and 2.72% are „others‟. The share of rented unit is higher in big cities especially in Karachi Division, where it is reported as 35.50%. In the rural area s of Sindh 86.11% household are living in owned housing units as compared to urban area where 67% are owned housing units and 27.87% are rented. iv
Sources of cooking fuel used : It is observed that 47.37% of housing unit used gas as fuel for cooking as compared to 47.39% in 2017 and wood as fuel for cooking declined to 44.80% in 2023 as compared to 49.50% in 2017. However , there is bi g contrast in type of fuel used in urban and rural areas, in former 80.73% used gas as fuel for cooking while only 11.01% in later.
Agriculture: Sindh‟s agriculture sector characterized by a diverse rang e of crops.It contributes significantly
in food security, rural employment, and po verty alleviation, while also supporting key industries such as
textiles, food processing, and exports. The net area sown during 2022-23 was 2574 thousand hectares of
total cultivated area which declined to 5 2.03% as compare to 5 2.94% in 2021-22. Agriculture sector has
indicated an overall growth of 0.56% according to Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25. The production of
major crops such as wheat ( 3940.2 thousand Tones), rice ( 2011.8 thousand Tones), cotton ( 1586.29
thousand bales), and sugarcane (1 6171.73 thousand Tones) are major contributors in production with
growth in wheat (10.8%), but decline in Sugarcane (16.9%) & Rice (29.69%) as compared to 2021-22. Rice
and wheat are staple foods, while cotton is crucial for the textile industry .It has been obse rved that the
yield per hectare of wheat and cotton are decreased due to erratic weather patterns, including floods water
distribution, infrastructure inefficiency and reduced water availability due to climate change.
Education: Sindh has made strides in increasing access to education, and related facilities however, it
continues to struggle with high dropout rates and gender disparities as well as education quality. Sindh
represent 23.14% of Pakistan‟s total population. Out of total population of Sindh which is 55.64 million,
16.89 million are the children between the ages 5 to 16 years and account for nearly 30.36% of total
population of Sindh. As per latest census 46% of children are reported as out of school children of age 516
in Sindh. There are mo re female out of schools children (51%) as compared to male (42%). Parity index
calculated for gender at primary level is 0.87 and 0.83 for middle and high level respectively. The quality of
education remains uneven, with many institutions lacking basic res ources due to inadequate infrastructure,
teacher shortages, and gender disparities, particularly in rural areas. To get the required outcomes
government need to invest further in training of teachers and incentives to improve retention and quality,
enhance infrastructure in underserved areas and implement inclusive education policies to address gender
and socioeconomic disparities.
Health: Sindh's healthcare system faces significant challenges like other provinces, including a high burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Despite many interventions, access to basic healthcare services is still limited, especially in rural regions. There are ( 101) hospitals, (1189) dispensaries, (146) RHC, (772) BHU and (107) MCH centers reported across districts.
Crime: Karachi is largest city and economic hub of Pakistan which faces widespread crime, particularly in the fo rm of killing, violence and robberies. High level of poverty and lack of economic opportunities especially for the youth contributed to rising crimes which are reported as 1 08,951 in 2023 as compared to 96,599 reported in 2010 which is showing an increase of 12.79%. Heinous crime s like murder and attempted murder have been decreased in 202 3 as compared to 2010 while robbery, motorcycle theft and kidnapping are increasing during this period due to various factors, including population size, congestion, poverty and unemployment etc among other factors.
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RT
The compilation of Social Economic Indicators at District level of Sindh owes to the efforts of the following officers/officials of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
Mr. Muhammad Sarwar Gondal (SI) Member (SS/RM)
Mr. Rizwan Bashir Director
Mrs Shazia Begum Director
Mrs. Aisha Khaliq Chief Statistical Officer
Mrs. Zahida Parveen Statistical Officer
Mr. Muhammad Munir Statistical Assistant
Mr. InamulHaq Abbasi Statistical Assistant
Mrs. Shahla Nosheen Statistical Assistant
Mrs. Munaza Jabeen Statistical Assistant
Mr. Shabbir Ali Steno Typist
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