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{{Short description|none}}
], year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.]]
{{About|the demographic features of the population of Pakistan|a general overview of the citizens of Pakistan|Pakistanis}}
] has an estimated population of over 169 million inhabitants in ]. During 1951-98, Pakistan's urban population expanded sevenfold. Non-governmental and international sources report that Pakistan's current population is estimated to be 165,803,560 (July 2006 est).<ref name=CIAFactBook></ref> In the past, the country's population had a relatively high growth rate that has, however, been moderated by declining fertility and birth rates. Dramatic social changes have led to rapid urbanization and the emergence of ]. During 1990-2003, Pakistan sustained its historical lead as the most urbanized nation in South Asia, with city dwellers making up 34% of its population.
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox place demographics
| place = ]
| image = Pakistan Population Pyramid - July 1, 2021.svg
|image_size = 400
| caption = ] of Pakistan as of July 1, 2021
<!-- Population data -->
| size_of_population = 241,492,197 (2023 census)
| density = {{convert|260.8|/km2|/sqmi|abbr=on}}<br />{{convert|248.9|/km2|/sqmi|abbr=on}} (including ] and ])
| growth = {{increase}} 1.85% (2021 est.)<ref name="CIAWF22">{{cite web |title=Pakistan |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/pakistan/ |website=Pakistan – The World Factbook |publisher=CIA |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506105352/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/pakistan/ |archive-date=6 May 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| birth = 22.5 births / 1,000 population (2023 est.)
| death = 7.2 deaths / 1,000 population (2021 est.)<ref name="CIAWF22"/>
| net_migration = −2.0 migrants / 1,000 population (2021 est.)<ref name="CIAWF22"/>
| life = 69.1 years (2022 est.)<ref name="CIAWF22"/>
| life_male = 66.8 years (2022 est.)<ref name="CIAWF22"/>
| life_female = 71.6 years (2022 est.)<ref name="CIAWF22"/>
| fertility = 3.32 children born / woman (2024 est.)<ref name="CIAWF22"/>
<!--Age structure-->
| age_0–14_years = 37.2% (2020)<ref name="UNWPP2019" />
| age_15–64_years = 58.6% (2020)<ref name="UNWPP2019" />
| age_65_years = 4.2% (2020)<ref name="UNWPP2019" />
<!-- Nationality, Ethnicity, Language -->
| nation = ''noun'': ]
| major_ethnic = See ]
| spoken = See ]
}}


] had a population of 241,495,112 according to the final results of the ].<ref name="2017CensusPopulation">{{cite web |title=TABLE – 1 AREA, POPULATION BY SEX, SEX RATIO, POPULATION DENSITY, URBAN PROPORTION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/National.pdf |website=National.pdf |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=17 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927171509/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/National.pdf |archive-date=27 September 2021 |date=19 May 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="AJKPop">{{cite web |title=STATISTICAL YEAROOK 2020 |url=https://www.pndajk.gov.pk/uploadfiles/downloads/Statistical%20Year%20Book%202020.pdf |website=Statistical Yearbook 2020.pdf |publisher=AJ&K BUREAU OF STATISTICS PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT |access-date=17 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017165928/https://www.pndajk.gov.pk/uploadfiles/downloads/Statistical%20Year%20Book%202020.pdf |archive-date=17 October 2021 |date=5 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="GBPop">{{cite web |title=GILGIT-BALTISTAN at a GLANCE 2020 |url=https://portal.pnd.gog.pk/Content/Files/Reports/Gilgit%20Baltistan%20at%20a%20Glance%20New%20Design%202020%20Final_210554160.pdf |website=Gilgit Baltistan at a Glance New Design.cdr |publisher=Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Planning & Development Department Statistical & Research Cell (SRC) |access-date=17 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017170116/https://portal.pnd.gog.pk/Content/Files/Reports/Gilgit%20Baltistan%20at%20a%20Glance%20New%20Design%202020%20Final_210554160.pdf |archive-date=17 October 2021 |date=20 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> This figure includes Pakistan's ] e.g. Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Balochistan and ]. AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan's census data is yet to be approved by CCI Council of Pakistan. Pakistan is the world's ].<ref name="UNWPP2019">{{cite web |title=World Population Prospects 2019 |url=https://population.un.org/wpp/ |website=World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations |publisher=United Nations |access-date=8 May 2022 |date=June 2019}}</ref>
Pakistan has a multicultural society and hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world as well as a young population.


Between 1951 and 2017, Pakistan's population expanded over sixfold, going from 33.7&nbsp;million to 207.7&nbsp;million. The country has a relatively high, although declining, growth rate supported by high birth rates and low death rates. Between 1998 and 2017, the average annual population growth rate stood at +2.40%.
Pakistan's next national census will take place in 2008.<ref name=Census></ref>

{| class="toccolours" align="right" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 95%;"
Dramatic social changes have led to urbanization and the emergence of two ]: ] and ]. The country's urban population more than tripled between 1981 and 2017 (from 23.8&nbsp;million to 75.7&nbsp;million), as Pakistan's ] rose from 28.2% to 36.4%. Even with this, the nation's urbanisation rate remains one of ], and in 2017, over 130 million Pakistanis (making up nearly 65% of the population) lived in rural areas.

Due to a high ], which was estimated at 3.5 in 2022, Pakistan has one of the world's ]. The 2017 census recorded that 40.3% of the country's population was under the age of 15, while only 3.7% of Pakistanis were aged 65 or more.<ref name="2017CensusAge">{{cite web |title=TABLE 4 – POPULATION BY SINGLE YEAR AGE, SEX AND RURAL/URBAN |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/census_2017_tables/pakistan/Table04n.pdf |website=Table 04n.pdf |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=9 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224053856/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/census_2017_tables/pakistan/Table04n.pdf |archive-date=24 December 2021 |date=2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> The ] of the country was 19,<ref name="2017CensusAge" /> while its ] was recorded to be 105 males per 100 females.<ref name="2017CensusPopulation" />

The ] from the ancient ] to the modern era includes the arrival and settlement of many cultures and ethnic groups in the modern region of ] from ] and the nearby ]. Because of this, Pakistan has a multicultural, multilinguistic, and multiethnic society. Despite ] being Pakistan's ], estimates on how many languages are spoken in the country range from 75 to 85,<ref>{{cite web |editor-last1=Simons |editor-first1=Gary F. |editor-last2=Fennig |editor-first2=Charles D. |title=Pakistan – Languages |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/PK/languages |work=Ethnologue: Languages of the World |year=2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902143126/https://www.ethnologue.com/country/pk/languages |archive-date=2017-09-02 |url-status=deviated |edition=20th}}</ref><ref name="GlottologPK">{{cite web |title=Languages of Pakistan |url=https://glottolog.org/glottolog/language.map.html?country=PK#4/33.01/73.28 |website=Glottolog 4.5 – Languages |publisher=Glottolog |access-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512205543/https://glottolog.org/glottolog/language.map.html?country=PK#4/33.01/73.28 |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> and in 2023, the country's three largest ]s were the ] (making up 36.98% of the total population), the ] (18.15%), and the ] (14.31%).<ref>https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/key_findings_report.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref> Pakistan is also thought to have the world's fourth-largest ], estimated at 1.4&nbsp;million in mid-2021 by the ].<ref name="RefugeesUNHCR">{{cite web |title=Refugee Data Finder |url=https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/ |website=UNHCR – Refugee Statistics |publisher=UNHCR |access-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512205655/https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/ |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Population==
{{Main|Census in Pakistan}}
{{Historical populations
| title = Historical Population of Pakistan (four provinces and Islamabad)
| shading = off
| percentages = pagr
| align = right
| 1951 |33740167
| 1961 |42880378
| 1972 |65309340
| 1981 |84253644
| 1998 |132352279
| 2017 |207684626
| 2023 |241492917
|source =<ref name="2017CensusPopulation"/><ref name="1951-1998Data">{{cite book |date=January 2002 |title=1951-98 Population of Administrative Units (As on 1st March, 1998) |publisher=POPULATION CENSUS ORGANIZATION STATISTICS DIVISION GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN |url=http://www.irispunjab.gov.pk/StatisticalReport/Population%20Census/1998/1951-98%20Population%20of%20Administrative%20Units%20(As%20on%201st%20March,%201998).pdf |access-date=25 August 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823211928/http://www.irispunjab.gov.pk/StatisticalReport/Population%20Census/1998/1951-98%20Population%20of%20Administrative%20Units%20(As%20on%201st%20March,%201998).pdf}}</ref>
}}

The ] recorded a population of 207,684,626 living in ]'s ] and the ].<ref name="2017CensusPopulation" /> The census also reported that ]'s population stood at 4,045,367<ref name="AJKPop" /> and ]'s population was 1,492,924.<ref name="GBPop" /> This meant that the total population of Pakistan in 2017 was 213,222,917.

The statistics in the graphs below were created by the United Nations in July 2022,<ref name="UNWPP2019" /> and are covered in more detail in ]. This data includes ] and ].For years, the country with a population exceeding 230 million has been grappling to achieve economic stability. The people of Pakistan are living in a precarious situation, with an uncertain future in the country.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-30 |title=Crisis-hit Pakistan strikes $3bn IMF bailout deal |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-66062429 |access-date=2023-08-29}}</ref>

{{GraphChart
| width = 550
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle = year
| yAxisTitle = million
| yAxisMin = 0
| yGrid = 0, 1
| xGrid = 10
| legend =
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021

| y1 = 37.696264,38.215785,38.816777,39.488228,40.22409,41.023128,41.884995,42.808511,43.794993,44.843639,45.954226,47.060915,48.161841,49.32505,50.552592,51.841626,53.199414,54.629793,56.124743,57.676805,59.290872,60.878781,62.509565,64.285624,66.149169,68.126999,70.230923,72.451105,74.78933,77.407341,80.624057,84.270202,87.828198,91.080372,94.003867,97.121552,100.618523,104.251093,107.967838,111.670386,115.414069,119.203569,122.375179,125.546615,129.245139,133.117476,137.23481,141.330267,145.476106,149.694462,154.369924,159.217727,163.262807,166.87668,170.64862,174.372098,178.069984,181.924521,185.931955,190.123222,194.454498,198.602738,202.205861,205.337562,208.251628,210.969298,213.52484,216.379655,219.731479,223.29328,227.196741,231.402117
| y1Title = Population (million)
}}

{{GraphChart
| width = 550
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle = year
| yAxisTitle = ‰
| yAxisMax = 50
| yAxisMin = -15
| yGrid = 0,1
| xGrid = 10
| hAnnotatonsLine = 0
| hAnnotatonsLabel =
| legend =
| type = line
| x = 1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021

| y1 = 43.716,44.12,44.49,44.778,45.004,45.184,45.366,45.515,45.649,45.696,45.749,45.76,45.647,45.503,45.298,45.091,44.831,44.579,44.201,43.724,43.549,43.445,43.342,43.281,43.115,43.017,42.941,43.027,43.117,43.235,43.539,44.156,44.567,44.669,44.469,44.245,44.29,44.207,44.011,43.684,43.147,42.531,41.829,40.756,40.097,39.211,38.516,37.683,37.079,36.475,35.761,35.342,34.868,34.132,33.513,32.867,32.402,32.589,32.361,32.193,32.109,31.872,31.601,31.181,30.462,29.699,29.306,28.963,28.594,28.276,27.967,27.519

| y2 = 31.127,29.351,28.071,26.917,25.957,24.912,24.075,23.208,22.412,21.63,20.909,20.184,19.486,18.673,17.927,17.286,16.323,15.615,14.96,14.395,13.794,16.162,13.404,13.246,13.205,12.95,12.817,12.735,12.502,12.309,12.109,11.946,11.825,11.608,11.415,11.351,11.257,11.383,11.199,11.013,10.731,10.543,10.489,10.43,10.215,10.194,9.852,9.654,9.353,9.023,8.77,8.583,8.454,8.311,8.177,8.402,7.831,7.798,7.733,7.703,7.599,7.524,7.479,7.333,7.274,7.097,7.036,6.89,6.843,6.765,7.06,7.168

| y3 = 12.589,14.769,16.419,17.861,19.047,20.272,21.291,22.307,23.237,24.066,24.84,25.576,26.161,26.83,27.371,27.805,28.508,28.964,29.241,29.329,29.755,27.283,29.938,30.035,29.91,30.067,30.124,30.292,30.615,30.926,31.43,32.21,32.742,33.061,33.054,32.894,33.033,32.824,32.812,32.671,32.416,31.988,31.34,30.326,29.882,29.017,28.664,28.029,27.726,27.452,26.991,26.759,26.414,25.821,25.336,24.465,24.571,24.791,24.628,24.49,24.51,24.348,24.122,23.848,23.188,22.602,22.27,22.073,21.751,21.511,20.907,20.351

| y4 = 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,-2.842,-2.728,-2.616,-2.503,-2.393,-2.293,-2.193,-2.091,-1.989,-1.965,-2.244,-2.213,-1.804,-1.051,-0.05,0.672,1.16,1.473,5.829,13.46,11.899,6.305,0.811,-3.73,2.912,1.986,3.14,1.374,0.609,0.262,-0.051,-10.733,-0.002,-2.138,2.228,1.079,1.073,1.024,0.992,6.112,2.164,-5.098,-3.459,-3.071,-3.62,-3.525,-3.092,-2.824,-1.779,-2.218,-4.474,-8.116,-9.24,-9.738,-10.244,-10.669,-7.25,-5.942,-5.258,-2.588,-2.035

| y1Title = Crude birth rate (per 1000)
| y2Title = Crude death rate (per 1000)
| y3Title = Crude rate of natural increase (per 1000)
| y4Title = Crude rate of migration (per 1000)<!-- Note: Crude migration change (per 1000) is a trend analysis, an extrapolation <ref>Note: Crude migration change (per 1000) is a trend analysis, an extrapolation, based the calculation average population change (current year minus previous) minus natural change of the current year.-->
| colors = green, red, blue, orange
}}
{{GraphChart
| width = 550
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= ‰
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

| y1= 263.4,252.9,243.3,234.1,225.6,217.4,209.6,202.2,195.2,188.7,182.6,176.7,171.2,166.0,161.2,157.5,153.2,149.9,147.0,144.5,142.1,145.5,137.9,136.0,134.3,132.5,
131.0,129.6,128.1,126.6,125.1,123.6,122.1,120.5,118.8,117.0,115.2,113.3,111.5,109.6,107.8,105.9,103.9,101.7,99.5,97.2,94.7,92.3,89.9,87.5,85.3,83.3,81.5,79.8,78.4,77.9,75.7,74.5,73.1,71.8,70.5,68.8,67.1,65.5,63.8,62.1,60.4,58.8,57.1,55.5,53.9,52.3

| y1Title=Infant Mortality (per 1000 live births)
}}
{{GraphChart
| width = 550
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= TFR
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

| y1= 6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.80,6.81,6.81,6.81,6.81,6.81,6.80,6.78,
6.76,6.73,6.70,6.67,6.64,6.62,6.59,6.55,6.52,6.48,6.43,6.36,6.29,6.21,6.11,6.01,5.89,5.77,5.64,5.51,5.39,5.26,5.12,5.01,4.88,4.75,4.64,4.53,4.51,4.43,4.36,4.30,
4.23,4.17,4.11,4.01,3.90,3.83,3.76,3.69,3.62,3.56,3.47

| y1Title=Total Fertility Rate
}}
]
]

===Estimates from the United Nations===

In July 2022, the ] published its 2022 World Population Prospects, a bi annually-updated database where key demographic indicators are estimated and projected worldwide down to the country level. They prepared estimates of Pakistan's population for every year from 1950 to 2021, as well as projections for future decades.<ref name="UNWPP2019" /> This data includes ] and ].

Projections are highlighted in light yellow, and future figures are taken from the medium fertility variant.

{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:right
|+
|-class=static-row-header style=vertical-align:bottom
|- |-
! width="70" |Year
! colspan=3 bgcolor="#ccccff" align="center"| Historical populations
! width="100" |{{abbr|Population|Population as of July 1 of the year}}
! width="120" |% Population<br />aged 0 to 14
! width="120" |% Population<br />aged 15 to 64
! width="120" |% Population<br />aged 65 or more
|- |-
!1950
! align="center"| Census !! align="right"| Population || Urban
|37,696,264
|40.5%
|54.0%
|5.5%
|- |-
!1955
| colspan=3|<hr>
|
|40.3%
|55.3%
|4.4%
|- |-
!1960
| align="center"| 1951 || align="right" | 33,816,000|| 17.80%
|45,954,226
|40.6%
|55.6%
|3.7%
|- |-
!1965
| align="center"| 1961 || align="right" | 42,978,000|| 22.46%
|51,841,626
|42.3%
|54.4%
|3.4%
|- |-
!1970
| align="center"| 1972 || align="right" | 65,321,000|| 25.40%
|59,290,872
|43.7%
|53.0%
|3.3%
|- |-
!1975
| align="center"| 1981 || align="right" | 84,254,000|| 28.28%
|68,126,999
|43.9%
|52.8%
|3.4%
|- |-
!1980
| align="center"| 1998 || align="right" | 130,580,000|| 32.51%
|80,624,057
|43.0%
|53.5%
|3.4%
|-
!1985
|97,121,552
|43.0%
|53.5%
|3.5%
|-
!1990
|115,414,069
|43.7%
|52.8%
|3.5%
|-
!1995
|133,117,476
|44.4%
|52.1%
|3.5%
|-
!2000
|154,369,924
|42.9%
|53.6%
|3.5%
|-
!2005
|174,372,098
|41.1%
|55.4%
|3.5%
|-
!2010
|194,454,498
|39.2%
|57.0%
|3.7%
|-
!2015
|210,969,298
|38.4%
|57.7%
|3.9%
|-
!2020
|227,196,741
|37.3%
|58.6%
|4.2%
|- bgcolor="#ffffaf"
!2025
|249,948,885
|35.3%
|60.2%
|4.5%
|- bgcolor="#ffffaf"
!2030
|274,029,836
|33.2%
|61.9%
|4.9%
|- bgcolor="#ffffaf"
!2035
|298,432,780
|31.7%
|63.1%
|5.2%
|- bgcolor="#ffffaf"
!2040
|322,595,767
|29.5%
|64.8%
|5.7%
|- bgcolor="#ffffaf"
!2045
|345,818,945
|28.1%
|65.8%
|6.2%
|- bgcolor="#ffffaf"
!2050
|367,808,468
|26.6%
|66.5%
|6.9%
|} |}
==Population data==
===Geographic distribution===
The majority of southern ]'s population lives along the ]. In the northern half, most of the population lives about an arc formed by the cities of ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].


===Population and growth=== ===Structure of population===
]}}]]
*Population: 165,803,560 (July 2006 est.)
*Growth rate: 2.09% (2006 est.)
*Birth rate: 29.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
*Death rate: 8.23 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
*Net migration rate: -0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)


The table below shows Pakistan's population structure by five-year age group and sex using data from the 2023 census.<ref name="2017CensusAge" /> The country's population structure is relatively young, with a median age of 19. With low death rates and a declining birth rate, the country is in the third stage of its ]. In 2017, Pakistan's ] stood at 105 males per 100 females,<ref name="2017CensusPopulation" /> which is much more balanced than South Asia as a whole.
===Structure===
====Age structure====
*0-14 years: 39%(male 33,293,428; female 31,434,314)
*15-64 years: 56.9% (male 48,214,298; female 46,062,933)
*65 years and over: 4.1% (male 3,256,065; female 3,542,522) (2006 est.)


The statistics below do not contain ] or ], which disseminate their census data separately from Pakistan's four provinces and Islamabad.
====Gender ratios====
*Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
*under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
*15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
*65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
*total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)


{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:right
===Human development===
|+
====Mortality and life expectancy====
|-class=static-row-header style=vertical-align:bottom
*Infant mortality rate: 70.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
|-
*Life expectancy at birth:
! width="110" |Age Group
**total population: 63.39 years
! width="100" |Male
**male: 62.4 years
! width="100" |Female
**female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)
! width="100" |Total
! width="100" |{{abbr|Sex ratio|Sex ratio measured in number of males for 100 females}}
! width="100" |Percent
|-
!Total
!123,824,681
!116,613,077
!240,458,089
!106.12
!100.0%
|-
!0 – 4
|18,744,989
|17,726,432
|36,471,421
|105.1
|14.0%
|-
!5 – 9
|16,566,852
|15,705,284
|32,272,136
|108.8
|14.5%
|-
!10 – 14
|14,971,914
|13,817,137
|28,790,182
|111.8
|11.8%
|-
!15 – 19
|12,581,753
|11,569,893
|24,154,118
|108.0
|10.3%
|-
!20 – 24
|10,323,755
|10,141,864
|20,468,713
|100.0
|8.9%
|-
!25 – 29
|8,946,770
|9,016,962
|17,967,161
|98.8
|7.9%
|-
!30 – 34
|7,730,953
|8,026,004
|15,759,670
|96.4
|6.8%
|-
!35 – 39
|7,313,967
|7,047,727
|14,364,278
|102.2
|5.8%
|-
!40 – 44
|6,471,820
|6,063,242
|12,536,758
|101.5
|4.6%
|-
!45 – 49
|5,095,175
|4,624,839
|9,721,110
|104.9
|3.8%
|-
!50 – 54
|4,219,234
|3,827,003
|8,047,113
|110.4
|3.3%
|-
!55 – 59
|3,455,455
|2,933,026
|6,388,995
|113.8
|2.4%
|-
!60 – 64
|2,247,341
|2,063,695
|4,311,861
|108.9
|2.1%
|-
!65 – 69
|1,557,733
|1,393,718
|2,952,013
|111.8
|1.4%
|-
!70 – 74
|1,131,916
|1,001,805
|2,134,220
|113.0
|1.0%
|-
!75 or more
|1,338,251
|1,287,621
|2,626,523
|103.9
|1.26%
|-
! width="110" |Age Group
! width="100" |Male
! width="100" |Female
! width="100" |Total
! width="100" |{{abbr|Sex ratio|Sex ratio measured in number of males for 100 females}}
! width="100" |Percent
|-
!0 – 14
|43,533,720
|40,182,776
|83 716 496
|108.3
|40.3%
|-
!15 – 64
|58,778,374
|57,478,712
|116,257,086
|102.3
|56.0%
|-
!65+
|4,027,900
|3,683,144
|7,711,044
|109.4
|3.7%
|}


====Fertility==== ===Population distribution===
*Total fertility rate: 4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
*Fertility decline rate: 1.8 children per woman per decade (2nd fastest in world,<ref name=FeeneyAlam>)</ref>)


Pakistan's population is distributed unevenly, with over half of the country's people living in the ] province. On the other hand, Balochistan, which is geographically Pakistan's largest province, is its least-populated. The population is mainly clustered around the most agriculturally fertile areas, particularly the ] and its tributaries. Most of the country's people live in ]s, but two large and growing ] exist: the coastal ] and ] in eastern Punjab. Numerous smaller cities (such as ], ], ], and the capital ]) dot the rest of the country.
====Literacy====
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write.
*total population: 48.7% (2004 est.)
*male: 61.7%
*female: 35.2%


====By province====
==Nationality and ethnicity==
===Ethnic groups===
{{main|Ethnic groups in Pakistan}}
]
Pakistan's ethnic diversity is obvious and yet accurate numbers have been elusive. They constitute a variety of races and ethnic groups, although largely of ] stock. Most believe that the large majority of Pakistanis belong to the ] group. There are a substantial number of ] and smaller numbers of ]. These are many ethnic groups: Pakistan's census and rough estimates vary, but the consensus is that the ] are by far the largest group, and that Pukhtuns (also known as ]) and ] are the next two largest groups<ref name=GovermentOfPakistanStats> and </ref> The Punjabi population is estimated to comprise 44.15% of the national total. The ]s are the second-largest group at roughly 15.42%, followed by Sindhis at 14.1%. ]s, a group seen as transitional between Punjabis and Sindhis, make up 10.53% of the population. The remaining groups that comprise large percentages include the ] at 7.57% and the ] at 3.57%. The other main ethnic groups include the ], ], ] Pukhtuns, and the various peoples of the ], who all together total roughly 4.66% of the total population.


The table below shows Pakistan's provinces and territories by their historical population. While every one of Pakistan's administrative units currently has a growing population, the pace of growth is uneven throughout the country due to differing levels of fertility, mortality, as well as domestic and international migration. Populations pertaining to the modern borders of provinces are shown.
In addition, over five million ] refugees came to Pakistan during the ], and it is estimated that over three million remain, with a large proportion settling permanently in ]. If added to the census, Afghan refugees would boost the percentage of the Pukhtuns and "others" categories.


{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:right
===Religions===
|+
{{main|Religion in Pakistan}}
|-class=static-row-header style=vertical-align:bottom
|-
! width="200" |Province or Territory
! width="100" |]<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
! width="100" |]<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
! width="100" |]<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
! width="100" |]<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
! width="100" |]<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
! width="100" |]<ref name="2017CensusPopulation" />
!]<ref>https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/key_findings_report.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|20,540,762
|25,463,974
|37,607,423
|47,292,441
|73,691,290
|109,989,655
|127,688,922
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|6,047,748
|8,367,065
|14,155,909
|19,028,666
|30,439,893
|47,854,510
|55,696,147
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa}}
|5,888,550
|7,578,186
|10,879,781
|13,259,875
|20,919,976
|35,501,964
|40,856,097
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Balochistan, Pakistan|name=Balochistan}}
|1,167,167
|1,353,484
|2,428,678
|4,332,376
|6,565,885
|12,335,129
|14,894,402
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Islamabad|name={{abbr|ICT|Islamabad Capital Territory}}}}
|—
|117,669
|237,549
|340,286
|805,235
|2,003,368
|2,363,863
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |Four Provinces and ICT
!33,740,167
!42,880,378
!65,309,340
!84,253,644
!132,352,279
!207,684,626
!241,499,431
|- bgcolor="#ffffaf"
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Azad Kashmir}}<ref name="AJKPop" />
|886,000
|1,065,000
|1,573,000
|1,983,465
|2,972,501
|4,045,367
|
|- bgcolor="#ffffaf"
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Gilgit-Baltistan}}<ref name="GBPop" />
|—
|—
|—
|—
|884,000
|1,492,924
|
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |Total Pakistan
!—
!—
!—
!—
!136,208,780
!213,222,917
!
|}


====Urbanization====
Census data<ref name=CIAFactBook/> indicates that over 98% of the population are ]s. The ] have different schools which are called ] i.e, schools of jurisprudence (also 'Maktab-e-Fikr' (School of Thought) in ]). Nearly 87% of Pakistani Muslims are ] and roughly 10% are Shi'a Muslims. Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the ] school with a small ] school represented by ]s and ]. The Hanafi school includes the ]s and ]s schools. Although the majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to Ithna 'ashariyah school, there are significant minorities: Nizari Khoja Ismailis (Aga Khanis) and the smaller Mustaali Dawoodi Bohra school. By one estimate, in Pakistan, Muslims are divided into following schools: the Barelvis 48%, Deobandis 35%, Ithna Ashari 9%, Ahle Hadith 4%, Khojas 1%, Bohras 0.25%, and other smaller sects. The Ahle-e-Hadith are part of ] school. Nearly 65% of the total seminaries (]) are run by Deobandis, 25 per cent by the Barelvis, six percent by the Ahle Hadith and three percent by various Shia organizations. ]s are considered to be a heretical sect by mainstream Muslims and are concentrated in ], ].


The following table shows how Pakistan has ]. As is true with population growth, urbanisation is an uneven and nonlinear process. With an urbanisation rate of 54% as of 2023, Sindh is the country's most urbanised province. This is largely fuelled by the growth of ], which economically dominates the province and attracts migrants from the rest of the country. On the other hand, the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the territory of Gilgit-Baltistan both share very low urbanisation rates.
The difference among ] schools (], ], ], and ]) are small in practice, and they may pray together in any Sunni Masjid (]). In Pakistan, adherents of the ] and ] schools also pray together in same Masjids.


{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:right
There are small non-Sunni Muslim religious groups: ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, Shia Qadianis, ]s, Shia Bahais and others 3%. Although Pakistani statistics claim a small number of ]s on its territory, these Buddhists actually live in ]<ref name=ReligiousGroupsOfLadakh></ref> in Indian occupied ].
|+
|-class=static-row-header style=vertical-align:bottom
|-
! width="200" |Province or Territory
! width="100" |]<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
! width="100" |]<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
! width="100" |]<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
! width="100" |]<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
! width="100" |]<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
! width="100" |]<ref name="2017CensusPopulation" />
!]<ref>https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/key_findings_report.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|17.3%
|21.5%
|24.4%
|27.6%
|31.3%
|36.9%
|40.7%
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|29.2%
|37.9%
|40.4%
|43.3%
|48.8%
|51.9%
|54.0%
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa}}
|8.6%
|10.3%
|11.1%
|12.6%
|14.3%
|16.5%
|15.0%
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Balochistan, Pakistan|name=Balochistan}}
|12.4%
|16.9%
|16.5%
|15.6%
|23.9%
|27.6%
|30.1%
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Islamabad|name={{abbr|ICT|Islamabad Capital Territory}}}}
|0.0%
|0.0%
|32.3%
|60.1%
|65.7%
|50.4%
|46.9%
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |Four Provinces and ICT
!17.7%
!22.5%
!25.4%
!28.3%
!32.5%
!36.4%
!38.9%
|- bgcolor="#ffffaf"
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Azad Kashmir}}<ref name="AJKPop" />
|—
|—
|—
|8.1%
|12.5%
|17.4%
|
|- bgcolor="#ffffaf"
! style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Gilgit-Baltistan}}<ref name="GBPop" />
|—
|—
|—
|—
|16.8%
|16.5%
|
|}


====Largest cities====
''See Also'': ], ], ], ], ], ]
{{main|List of cities in Pakistan by population}}


As urbanisation has progressed and owing to the country's large population, Pakistan today has many very large urban centers which act as hubs for commerce and culture. The nation has two megacities, ] and ]. With populations of 18.9&nbsp;million and 13&nbsp;million respectively (as of 2023), they are among the world's largest metropolises. The country also has eight more cities with more than 1 million residents each: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. All of them play a significant role in the country, housing nearly 19 million people altogether.
==Languages==
===Prevalence===
According to the census, Pakistanis identified the following languages as their mother tongues :
Punjabi 44%,
Pashto 15%,
Sindhi 14%,
Siraiki 11%,
Urdu 8%,
Balochi 4%,
others 4%


Below a list showing Pakistan's cities with a population over 500,000 as of the 2023 census can be found, which not only shows the current populations of the cities, but also their growth rates and locations. The full list can be found on the main article: ].
The majority of Pakistanis can speak or understand two or more languages.


All city population figures below include adjacent ]s.
===Major languages===
The ] of Pakistan is English. ] is the national language and ], although it is spoken as a first language by approximately 8% of the population.
~44% speak ] as a first language, 15% ], and 31% other languages such as (], ], ], ] and ].)


{{Static row numbers}}
====English ''(Official Language)''====
{|class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers" style=text-align:right
] is the ], being widely used within the government, by the civil service and the officer ranks of the military. Pakistan's Constitution and laws are written in English. Many schools, and nearly all colleges and universities, use English as the ].
|+
|-class=static-row-header style=vertical-align:bottom
! width="100" |City Name
! width="100" |Province or Territory
! width="100" |2023 Population<ref>https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/key_findings_report.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>
! width="100" |Avg. Annual Growth Rate (2017-2023)
! width="100" |2017 Population<ref name="2017CensusCities">{{cite web |title=TABLE – 2 URBAN LOCALITIES BY POPULATION SIZE AND THEIR POPULATION BY SEX, ANNUAL GROWTH RATE AND HOUSEHOLD SIZE |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/census_2017_tables/pakistan/Table02n.pdf |website=Table 02n.pdf |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224053543/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/census_2017_tables/pakistan/Table02n.pdf |archive-date=24 December 2021 |date=2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>
! width="100" |Avg. Annual Growth Rate (1998-2017)
! width="100" |1998 Population<ref name="1951-1998Data" />
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|18,868,021
|{{Increase}}4.05%
|14,884,402
|{{Increase}} 2.48%
|9,339,023
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|13,004,135
|{{Increase}}2.65%
|11,119,985
|{{Increase}} 4.06%
|5,209,088
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3,691,999
|{{Increase}}2.37%
|3,210,158
|{{Increase}} 2.49%
|2,008,861
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3,357,612
|{{Increase}}8.18%
|2,097,824
|{{Increase}} 2.11%
|1,409,768
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|2,668,047
|{{Increase}}3.55%
|2,028,421
|{{Increase}} 3.11%
|1,132,509
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|2,215,381
|{{Increase}}2.85%
|1,872,641
|{{Increase}} 2.38%
|1,197,384
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|1,921,275
|{{Increase}}1.53%
|1,733,622
|{{Increase}} 2.10%
|1,166,894
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|name=KPK}}
|1,905,975
|{{Decrease}}-0.55%
|1,969,823
|{{Increase}} 3.72%
|982,816
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Balochistan, Pakistan|name=Balochistan}}
|1,565,546
|{{Increase}}7.79%
|999,385
|{{Increase}} 3.04%
|565,137
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Islamabad|name=ICT}}
|1,108,872
|{{Increase}}1.59%
|1,009,003
|{{Increase}} 3.45%
|529,180
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|975,886
|{{Increase}}6.81%
|658,208
|{{Increase}} 1.92%
|458,440
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|911,817
|{{Increase}}5.64%
|656,730
|{{Increase}} 2.36%
|421,502
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|903,795
|{{Increase}}2.88%
|762,774
|{{Increase}} 3.34%
|408,395
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|606,533
|{{Increase}}6.58%
|414,309
|{{Increase}} 1.83%
|293,366
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|591,424
|{{Increase}}3.80%
|472,269
|{{Increase}} 2.79%
|280,263
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|574,240
|{{Increase}}6.65%
|390,758
|{{Increase}} 2.34%
|251,792
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|563,851
|{{Increase}}2.02%
|500,401
|{{Increase}} 2.12%
|335,551
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|551,716
|{{Increase}}2.07%
|488,006
|{{Increase}} 3.15%
|270,283
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{Flag|Punjab}}
|538,344
|{{Increase}}5,59%
|388,795
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|533,693
|{{Increase}}6.90%
|358,146
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|519,261
|{{Increase}}3.57%
|420,963
|{{Increase}} 3.14%
|233,537
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |]
| style="text-align:left;" |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|510,875
|{{Increase}}6.11%
|358,296
|
|
|}


==Vital statistics==
====Urdu ''(National Language)''====
] is the national language of Pakistan, the lingua franca of the people. It is widely used, both formally and informally, for personal letters as well as public literature, in the literary sphere and in the popular media. It is a required subject of study in all primary and secondary schools. It is the first language of most Muhajirs. As Pakistan's national language, Urdu has been promoted as a token of national unity. Although less than 8% of Pakistanis speak it as their first language, it is spoken fluently as a second language by nearly all literate Pakistanis. Urdu by origin is an "Islamic version" of Hindi language which was spoken for centuries in the neighborhood of Delhi and it was known as Western Hindi, Hindvi, Dehlvi, Reekhta and Hindustani. It is written in a modified form of the Arabic alphabet and its basically Indic vocabulary has been enriched by words from Arabic, Persian, and English. Urdu has drawn inspiration from Persian literature and has now an enormous stock of words from that language. The first poetry in Urdu was by the Persian poet ] (1253-1325) and the first Urdu book "Woh Majlis" was written in 1728 and the first time the word "Urdu" was used by Saraj-ud-din Aarzoo in 1751. An official language in British India since 1835 and in India since 1947, where it is spoken by Muslim population, Urdu is one of the 15 national languages recognized by the constitution of that country.


As Pakistan lacks a national ] system that publicly disseminates data, all of the following information is made from estimates, which are constantly being revised. The ] estimated that in February 2021, only 42% of births in Pakistan were ], making it the world's most populous country where more than half of births remained unregistered.<ref name="UNRegistrationEstimates">{{cite web |title=Coverage of Birth and Death Registration – 2021 |url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/crvs/documents/2021-coverage.xlsx |website=Coverage of Birth and Death Registration – 2021 |publisher=United Nations |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123203454/https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/crvs/documents/2021-coverage.xlsx |archive-date=23 January 2022 |date=February 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> The United Nations was unable to estimate how many deaths were officially registered.<ref name="UNRegistrationEstimates" />
====Sindhi ''(Provincial Language)''====
] is spoken as a first language by 14% of Pakistanis, mostly in ]. Sindhi has very rich literature and is used in schools. Sindhi language contains Arabic words and is affected by Arabic language to a great extent. The reason being Arab ruled Sindh for more than 150 years. Muhammad bin Qasim entered Sindh and conquered it in 712 AD. He remained here for three years and set up Arabic rule in the area. According to historians, the social fabric of Sindh comprises elements of Arabic society. Sindhi is spoken in Pakistan and is also one of the constitutional languages of India. It is spoken by about 20 million people in the southern Pakistani province of Sindh, Southern Pakistan, and by about 2½ million more across the border in India. In Pakistan it is written in the Arabic script with several additional letters to accommodate special sounds. The largest Sindhi-speaking city is Karachi and Hyderabad, Pakistan. Sindhi literature is also spiritual in nature and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (1689-1752) is one of its Greatest poet who wrote Sassi Punnu, Umar Marwi (the great folk stories of the civilization) in his famous book "Shah jo Rasalo".


===Estimates based on surveys===
====Punjabi ''(Provincial Language)''====
] is spoken as a first language by more than 44% of Pakistanis, mostly in ] as well as by a large number of people in ]. It is an important language since Punjabi is spoken by about half of Pakistanis. However, Punjabi does not have any official status in Pakistan. The exact numbers of Punjabi speakers in Pakistan is hard to find since there are many dialects/languages, such as Seraiki, which some regard as part of Punjabi and others regard as separate language. Punjabi is spoken by almost 60% of the population in Pakistan. The standard Punjabi dialects is from Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Sheikupura districts of the Pakistani Punjab which was used by Waris Shah (1722-1798) in his famous book "Heer" and is also now days langueage of Punjabi literature, film and music; such as Lollywood. Other dialects are Multani or Siraiki in West and South, Pothowari in North, Dogri in the mountain areas and Shahpuri in Sargodha area.


Surveys taken by the Pakistani government or intergovernmental organisations are seen as the most reliable method of keeping tabs on birth, death, fertility, and infant mortality rates in a country without a reliable vital registration system. The data recorded in these surveys is used by the ] in order to estimate historical and future fertility and mortality figures for Pakistan in the World Population Prospects.<ref name="UNDataSourcesWPP2019">{{cite web |title=Data Sources |url=https://population.un.org/wpp/DataSources/586 |website=World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations |publisher=United Nations |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508160234/https://population.un.org/wpp/DataSources/586 |archive-date=8 May 2022 |date=June 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Punjabi is very old language and it was known as Sanskrit in Vedic-period (ca 4000 B.C.), Pali, Prakart and Upbharnash in Ashok-period (273-32 B.C.) and Hindvi, Lahori and Multani under Muslim period (711-1857). Punjabi literature was principally spiritual in nature and has had a very rich oral tradition. The Great Sufi/Saint poetry has been the folklore of the Punjab and still sung with great love in any part of Punjab.


{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:right
=====Punjabi dialects=====
|+
|-class=static-row-header style=vertical-align:bottom
! rowspan = "2" |Survey
! rowspan = "2" |]
! rowspan = "2" |]
! rowspan = "2" |]
! colspan = "3" |]
! colspan = "2" |]
|-
!Urban
!Rural
!Total
!Male
!Female
|-
! style=text-align:left |] 2006–07<ref name="DHS 2006-07">{{cite web |title=Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2006–07 |url=https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR200/FR200.pdf |website=Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2006–07 |publisher=National Institute of Population Studies Islamabad, Pakistan |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326022342/https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR200/FR200.pdf |archive-date=26 March 2022 |date=June 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|30.7
|—
|78
|3.30
|4.49
|4.08
|—
|—
|-
! style=text-align:left |{{abbr|PSLM|Pakistan Social & Living Standards Measurement Survey}} 2007–08<ref name="PSLM 2007-08">{{cite web |title=Pakistan Social & Living Standards Measurement Survey |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/social_statistics/publications/pslm2007_08/report_pslm07_08.pdf |website=National provincial level Report 2007-08.doc |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204095930/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//pslm/publications/pslm2013_14/A%20report%2013-14(%2012-05-15)_FInal_1.pdf |archive-date=4 February 2022 |date=2008–2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|—
|69
|3.13
|4.41
|3.95
|—
|—
|-
! style=text-align:left |PSLM 2011–12<ref name="PSLM 2011-12">{{cite web |title=PAKISTAN SOCIAL AND LIVING STANDARDS MEASUREMENT SURVEY (2011–12) |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/pslm/publications/pslm2011-12/complete_report_pslm11_12.pdf |website=complete_report_pslm11_12.pdf |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321043613/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/pslm/publications/pslm2011-12/complete_report_pslm11_12.pdf |archive-date=21 March 2022 |date=May 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|—
|63
|3.26
|4.35
|3.95
|—
|—
|-
! style=text-align:left |DHS 2012–13<ref name="DHS 2012-13">{{cite web |title=Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012–13 |url=https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR290/FR290.pdf |website=Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012–13 |publisher=National Institute of Population Studies Islamabad, Pakistan |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424000129/https://www.dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR290/FR290.pdf |archive-date=24 April 2022 |date=December 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|—
|74
|3.16
|4.20
|3.84
|—
|—
|-
! style=text-align:left |PSLM 2013–14<ref name="PSLM 2013-14">{{cite web |title=PSLM 2013–14 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//pslm/publications/pslm2013_14/A%20report%2013-14%28%2012-05-15%29_FInal_1.pdf |website=PSLM |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204095930/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//pslm/publications/pslm2013_14/A%20report%2013-14(%2012-05-15)_FInal_1.pdf |archive-date=4 February 2022 |date=2014–2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|—
|65
|3.24
|4.35
|3.95
|—
|—
|-
! style=text-align:left |DHS 2017–18<ref name="DHS 2017-18">{{cite web |title=Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18 |url=https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR354/FR354.pdf |website=Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18 |publisher=National Institute of Population Studies Islamabad, Pakistan |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428125806/https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR354/FR354.pdf |archive-date=28 April 2022 |date=January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|29
|—
|62
|2.93
|3.94
|3.56
|—
|—
|-
! style=text-align:left |PSLM 2018–19<ref name="PSLM 2018-19">{{cite web |title=Pakistan Social & Living Standards Measurement Survey (PSLM) 2018–19 National /Provincial (Social Report) |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//pslm/publications/pslm2018-19/pslm_report_2018-19_national_provincial.pdf |website=TECHNICAL NOTES |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410154323/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//pslm/publications/pslm2018-19/pslm_report_2018-19_national_provincial.pdf |archive-date=10 April 2022 |date=June 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|—
|60
|3.01
|4.21
|3.75
|—
|—
|-
! style=text-align:left |{{abbr|PMMS|Pakistan Maternal Mortality Survey}} 2019<ref name="PMMS 2019">{{cite web |title=Pakistan Maternal Mortality Survey 2019 |url=https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR366/FR366.pdf |website=Pakistan Maternal Mortality Survey 2019 |publisher=National Institute of Population Studies Islamabad, Pakistan |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508165009/https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR366/FR366.pdf |archive-date=8 May 2022 |date=December 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|64.3
|66.5
|-
! style=text-align:left |{{abbr|PDS|Pakistan Demographic Survey}} 2020<ref name="PDS 2020">{{cite web |title=PAKISTAN DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY 2020 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_satistics/pds2020/pakistan_demographic_survey_2020.pdf |website=Table of Content |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508163222/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_satistics/pds2020/pakistan_demographic_survey_2020.pdf |archive-date=8 May 2022 |date=14 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|27
|6.7
|56
|3.07
|4.11
|3.72
|64.5
|65.5
|}


====Regional fertility rates====
======Majhi======
This dialect is "the standard Punjabi language" and spoken in the heart of Punjab where most of the Punjabi population lives. The main districts are Lahore, Sheikhupura, Gujaranwala and Sialkot in Pakistani Punjab and Gurdaspur and Amritsar in Indian Punjab.


Many of the surveys above also recorded ] data broken down by each of Pakistan's administrative units, while many more surveys have been taken explicitly focusing on a specific province or territory. The fertility rate data recorded in these surveys is displayed in the table below.
======Jhangvi or Jangli======
This dialects is spoken in the central Pakistani Punjab, stretches from districts Khanewal to Jhang and includes Faisalabad and Chiniot.


{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:right
======Shahpuri======
|+
This dialect is spoken in Sargodha, Khushab and Mandi Bahawaldin districts.
|-class=static-row-header style=vertical-align:bottom
! width="200" |Survey
! width="60" |]
! width="60" |]
! width="60" |]
! width="60" |]
! width="60" |]
! width="60" |]
! width="60" |]
! width="90" |Pakistan
|-
! style=text-align:left |DHS 2006–07<ref name="DHS 2006-07" />
|3.9
|4.3
|{{abbr|4.3|Figure does not include former ]}}
|4.1
|—
|—
|—
!4.08
|-
! style=text-align:left |] Punjab 2011<ref name="MICS Punjab 2011">{{cite web |title=Untitled |url=https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS4/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Punjab%29/2011/Final/Pakistan%20%28Punjab%29%202011%20MICS_English.zip |website=Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Punjab 2011 |publisher=UNICEF MICS |access-date=6 June 2022 |date=2 September 2012}}</ref>
|3.6
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
!—
|-
! style=text-align:left |DHS 2012–13<ref name="DHS 2012-13" />
|3.8
|3.9
|{{abbr|3.9|Figure does not include former ]}}
|4.2
|3.0
|—
|3.8
!3.84
|-
! style=text-align:left |MICS Punjab 2014<ref name="MICS Punjab 2014">{{cite web |title=Punjab Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014 Final Report |url=https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Punjab%29/2014/Final/Pakistan%20%28Punjab%29%202014%20MICS_English.pdf |website=Pakistan (Punjab) 2014 MICS_English.pdf |publisher=UNICEF MICS |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606010425/https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Punjab%29/2014/Final/Pakistan%20%28Punjab%29%202014%20MICS_English.pdf |archive-date=6 June 2022 |date=December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|3.5
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
!—
|-
! style=text-align:left |MICS Sindh 2014<ref name="MICS Sindh 2014">{{cite web |title=Sindh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014 Final Report |url=https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Sindh%29/2014/Final/Pakistan%20%28Sindh%29%202014%20MICS_English.pdf |website=Pakistan (Sindh) 2014 MICS_English.pdf |publisher=UNICEF MICS |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728180120/https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20(Sindh)/2014/Final/Pakistan%20(Sindh)%202014%20MICS_English.pdf |archive-date=28 July 2021 |date=December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|4.0
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
!—
|-
! style=text-align:left |MICS KPK 2016–17<ref name="MICS KPK 2016-17">{{cite web |title=Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2016–17 Final Report |url=https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Punjab%29/2014/Final/Pakistan%20%28Punjab%29%202014%20MICS_English.pdf |website=Pakistan 2016-17 MICS (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Final Report_English.pdf |publisher=UNICEF MICS |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606005748/https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Khyber%20Pakhtunkhwa%29/2016-2017/Final/Pakistan%202016-17%20MICS%20%28Khyber%20Pakhtunkhwa%29%20Final%20Report_English.pdf |archive-date=6 June 2022 |date=June 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|—
|{{abbr|4.0|Figure does not include former ]}}
|—
|—
|—
|—
!—
|-
! style=text-align:left |MICS G-B 2016–17<ref name="MICS G-B 2016-17">{{cite web |title=Gilgit-Baltistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2016–17 Final Report |url=https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Gilgit-Baltistan%29/2016-2017/Final/Pakistan%202016-17%20MICS%20%28Gilgit-Baltistan%29_English.pdf |website=Microsoft Word - 001A. Gilgit-Baltistan MICS 2016-17_26102017.docx |publisher=UNICEF MICS |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618040540/https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Gilgit-Baltistan%29/2016-2017/Final/Pakistan%202016-17%20MICS%20%28Gilgit-Baltistan%29_English.pdf |archive-date=18 June 2020 |date=September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|4.6
!—
|-
! style=text-align:left |DHS 2017–18<ref name="DHS 2017-18" />
|3.4
|3.6
|{{abbr|4.1|Survey taken before ] was merged in KPK. The 4.8 figure in former FATA and the 4.0 figure in pre-merger KPK were averaged together (adjusting for relative populations)}}
|4.0
|3.0
|3.5
|4.7
!3.56
|-
! style=text-align:left |MICS Punjab 2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18">{{cite web |title=Punjab Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2017–18 Survey Findings Report |url=https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Punjab%29/2017-2018/Survey%20findings/MICS%20SFR_Final_English.pdf |website=MICS SFR_Final_English.pdf |publisher=UNICEF MICS |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406020612/https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20(Punjab)/2017-2018/Survey%20findings/MICS%20SFR_Final_English.pdf |archive-date=6 April 2022 |date=November 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|3.7
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
!—
|-
! style=text-align:left |MICS Sindh 2018–19<ref name="MICS Sindh 2018-19">{{cite web |title=Sindh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2018–19 Survey Findings Report |url=https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Sindh%29/2018-2019/Survey%20findings/Pakistan%202018-19%20MICS%20%28Sindh%29_English.pdf |website=MergedFile |publisher=UNICEF MICS |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606011050/https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Sindh%29/2018-2019/Survey%20findings/Pakistan%202018-19%20MICS%20%28Sindh%29_English.pdf |archive-date=6 June 2022 |date=February 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|3.7
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
!—
|-
! style=text-align:left |MICS KPK 2019<ref name="MICS KPK 2019">{{cite web |title=Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019 Survey Findings Report |url=https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Khyber%20Pakhtunkhwa%29/2019/Survey%20findings/Pakistan%202019%20MICS%20%28Khyber%20Pakhtunkhwa%29%20Survey%20Findings%20Report_English.pdf |website=Pakistan 2019 MICS (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Survey Findings Report_English.pdf |publisher=UNICEF MICS |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119121030/https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20(Khyber%20Pakhtunkhwa)/2019/Survey%20findings/Pakistan%202019%20MICS%20(Khyber%20Pakhtunkhwa)%20Survey%20Findings%20Report_English.pdf |archive-date=19 January 2022 |date=December 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|—
|—
|4.0
|—
|—
|—
|—
!—
|-
! style=text-align:left |MICS Balochistan 2019-20<ref name="MICS Balochistan 2019-20">{{cite web |title=Balochistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019-20 Survey Findings Report |url=https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Balochistan%29/2019-2020/Survey%20findings/Pakistan%202019-20%20MICS%20%28Balochistan%29_English.pdf |website=MICS6 Survey Findings Report |publisher=UNICEF MICS |access-date=30 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930231446/https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Balochistan%29/2019-2020/Survey%20findings/Pakistan%202019-20%20MICS%20%28Balochistan%29_English.pdf |archive-date=30 September 2022 |date=August 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|—
|—
|—
|4.0
|—
|—
|—
!—
|-
! style=text-align:left |MICS AJK 2020–21<ref name="MICS AJK 2020-21">{{cite web |title=Azad Jammu and Kashmir Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2020–21 Survey Findings Report |url=https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Azad%20Jammu%20and%20Kashmir%29/2020-2021/Survey%20findings/Pakistan%202020-21%20MICS%20%28AJ%26K%29_English.pdf |website=Untitled-1 |publisher=UNICEF MICS |access-date=6 June 2022 |date=December 2021 |archive-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606011717/https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Azad%20Jammu%20and%20Kashmir%29/2020-2021/Survey%20findings/Pakistan%202020-21%20MICS%20%28AJ%26K%29_English.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|3.4
|—
!—
|}


The MICS surveys above also provide data on ], although they come with a far higher margin of error. This margin of error is lessened for larger districts from where larger sample sizes were utilised. In the chart below, the latest fertility rate data for each Pakistani district with a population of over 2 million as of the 2017 census can be found. Although the table is originally ranked by district population size, clicking the headers will allow the reader to sort the table.
======Pothowari======
The area where Pothowari is spoken extends in the north from Azad Kashmir (Mirpur) to as far south as Jhelum, Gujar Khan, Chakwal and Rawalpindi.


{{Static row numbers}}
======Hindko======
{|class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers" style=text-align:right
This dialect is spoken in districs of Peshawar, Attock, Nowshehra, Mansehra, Abbotabad and Murree.
|+
|-class=static-row-header style=vertical-align:bottom
! width="100" |]
! width="100" |Province
! width="130" |Total fertility rate
! width="130" |{{abbr|Margin of error|Margin of error refers to the difference between confidence limits and estimated Total fertility rate (found in the last few pages of the document)}}
! width="130" |Year of survey
! width="130" |] Population
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.1
|±0.2
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|11,119,985
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.3
|±0.2
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|7,882,444
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.2
|±0.2
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|5,402,380
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.4
|±0.2
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|5,011,066
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|4.6
|±0.4
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|4,807,762
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.6
|±0.3
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|4,746,166
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|name=KPK}}
|4.0
|±0.5
|2019<ref name="MICS KPK 2019" />
|4,331,959
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|4.7
|±0.3
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|4,328,549
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|{{abbr|2.2|This data includes the area now comprising Kemari District, which was split off after the survey was taken}}
|±0.3
|2018–19<ref name="MICS Sindh 2018-19" />
|{{abbr|3,907,065|This data includes the area now comprising Kemari District, which was split off after the survey was taken}}
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.5
|±0.3
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|3,894,938
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.6
|±0.3
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|3,696,212
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.9
|±0.4
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|3,669,176
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.7
|±0.3
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|3,460,004
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|4.3
|±0.3
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|3,454,881
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|4.3
|±0.4
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|3,040,826
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.7
|±0.3
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|2,975,656
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|2.2
|±0.3
|2018–19<ref name="MICS Sindh 2018-19" />
|2,971,382
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|4.0
|±0.4
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|2,920,233
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.8
|±0.3
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|2,902,081
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|3.2
|±0.4
|2018–19<ref name="MICS Sindh 2018-19" />
|2,875,315
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|5.4
|±0.5
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|2,872,631
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.1
|±0.2
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|2,756,289
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|4.3
|±0.4
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|2,742,633
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|2.5
|±0.3
|2018–19<ref name="MICS Sindh 2018-19" />
|2,577,556
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.6
|±0.4
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|2,513,011
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|4.8
|±0.8
|2018–19<ref name="MICS Sindh 2018-19" />
|2,405,190
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|name=KPK}}
|4.0
|±0.3
|2019<ref name="MICS KPK 2019" />
|2,373,399
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|name=KPK}}
|4.5
|±0.5
|2019<ref name="MICS KPK 2019" />
|2,308,624
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Balochistan, Pakistan|name=Balochistan}}
|4.7
|±0.3
|2019-20<ref name="MICS Balochistan 2019-20" />
|2,269,473
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|3.0
|±0.4
|2018–19<ref name="MICS Sindh 2018-19" />
|2,199,928
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Punjab, Pakistan|name=Punjab}}
|3.5
|±0.3
|2017–18<ref name="MICS Punjab 2017-18" />
|2,191,495
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Sindh}}
|4.2
|±0.4
|2018–19<ref name="MICS Sindh 2018-19" />
|2,049,873
|-
| style=text-align:left |]
| style=text-align:left |{{Flag|Islamabad|name=ICT}}
|3.0
|±0.3
|2017–18<ref name="DHS 2017-18" />
|2,003,368
|}


===Estimates from the United Nations===
======Malwi======
Spoken in the eastern part of Indian Punjab. Main districts are Ludhiana, Ambala, Bathinda, Ganganagar, Maleerkotla Fazilka, Ferozepur. Malwa is the southern and central part of present day Indian Punjab. Also includes the Punjabi speaking northern areas of Haryana, viz. Ambala, Hissar, Sirsa, Kurukhetra etc.


In July 2022, the ] published its 2022 World Population Prospects, a biennially-updated database where key demographic indicators are estimated and projected worldwide down to the country level. They prepared the following estimates of demographic indicators in Pakistan for every year from 1950 to 2021, as well as projections for future decades.<ref name="UNWPP2019" /> This data includes ] and ].
======Doabi======
The word "Do Aabi" means "the land between two rivers" and this dialect is spoken between the rivers of Beas and Sutlej. It includes Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur districts.


{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
====Pashto ''(Provincial Language)''====
|-class=static-row-header style=vertical-align:bottom
] is spoken as a first language by 15% of Pakistanis, mostly in the ] and in ] as well as by immigrants to the eastern provinces who are often not counted due to census irregularities. Additionally, Afghan refugees are often outside the census count, but appear to be largely Pashto speakers from Afghanistan. Pashto speakers are almost 8% of Pakistani population and more than 30% in Afghanistan. Pashto has no written literary traditions although it has a rich oral tradition. There are two major dialect patterns within which the various individual dialects may be classified; these are Pakhto, which is the northern (Peshawar) variety, and the softer Pashto spoken in southern areas. Khushal Khan Khatak (1613-1689) and Rehman Baba (1633-1708) were some big poets in Pashto language.
|-
! width="50" rowspan = "2" |Year
! width="70" rowspan = "2" |Mid-year<br />population
! width="70" rowspan = "2" |Annual<br />live births
! width="70" rowspan = "2" |Annual<br />deaths
! width="70" rowspan = "2" |Annual<br />natural<br />increase
! width="70" rowspan = "2" |]
! width="70" rowspan = "2" |]
! width="70" rowspan = "2" |]
! width="70" rowspan = "2" | Crude migration rate (per 1,000)
! width="70" rowspan = "2" |]
! width="70" rowspan = "2" |]
! width="140" colspan = "2" |]
|-
!Male
!Female
|-
!1950
|37,696,264
|1,647,739
|1,173,219
|474,520
|43.7
|31.1
|12.6
|
|263.4
|6.80
|36.2
|33.4
|-
!1951
|38,215,785
|1,686,378
|1,121,858
|564,520
|44.1
|29.4
|14.8
| -1.0
|252.9
|6.80
|37.5
|34.6
|-
!1952
|38,816,777
|1,727,288
|1,089,817
|637,471
|44.5
|28.1
|16.4
| -0.7
|243.3
|6.80
|38.6
|35.8
|-
!1953
|39,488,228
|1,768,524
|1,063,098
|705,426
|44.8
|26.9
|17.9
| -0.6
|234.1
|6.80
|39.8
|36.9
|-
!1954
|40,224,090
|1,810,574
|1,044,277
|766,297
|45.0
|26.0
|19.0
| -0.4
|225.6
|6.80
|40.7
|37.9
|-
!1955
|41,023,128
|1,853,944
|1,022,153
|831,791
|45.2
|24.9
|20.3
| -0.4
|217.4
|6.80
|41.8
|39.0
|-
!1956
|41,884,995
|1,900,510
|1,008,574
|891,936
|45.4
|24.1
|21.3
| -0.3
|209.6
|6.80
|42.7
|39.8
|-
!1957
|42,808,511
|1,948,801
|993,703
|955,098
|45.5
|23.2
|22.3
| -0.3
|202.2
|6.80
|43.7
|40.7
|-
!1958
|43,794,993
|1,999,584
|981,704
|1,017,880
|45.6
|22.4
|23.2
| -0.2
|195.2
|6.80
|44.6
|41.6
|-
!1959
|44,843,639
|2,049,555
|970,149
|1,079,406
|45.7
|21.6
|24.1
| -0.2
|188.7
|6.80
|45.5
|42.5
|-
!1960
|45,954,226
|2,102,786
|961,020
|1,141,766
|45.7
|20.9
|24.8
| 0
|182.6
|6.80
|46.3
|43.4
|-
!1961
|47,060,915
|2,157,005
|951,411
|1,205,594
|style="color:blue;"|45.8
|20.2
|25.6
| -1.5
|176.7
|6.80
|47.2
|44.2
|-
!1962
|48,161,841
|2,201,790
|939,942
|1,261,848
|45.6
|19.5
|26.2
| -2.8
|171.2
|6.80
|48.0
|45.0
|-
!1963
|49,325,050
|2,247,761
|922,383
|1,325,378
|45.5
|18.7
|26.8
| -2.6
|166.0
|6.80
|48.8
|46.3
|-
!1964
|50,552,592
|2,293,167
|907,551
|1,385,616
|45.3
|17.9
|27.4
| -2.5
|161.2
|6.80
|49.7
|47.4
|-
!1965
|51,841,626
|2,340,733
|897,333
|1,443,400
|45.1
|17.3
|27.8
| -2.3
|157.5
|6.80
|50.3
|48.5
|-
!1966
|53,199,414
|2,388,085
|869,523
|1,518,562
|44.8
|16.3
|28.5
| -2.3
|153.2
|6.80
|51.6
|50.0
|-
!1967
|54,629,793
|2,438,389
|854,112
|1,584,277
|44.6
|15.6
|29.0
| -2.1
|149.9
|6.80
|52.6
|51.2
|-
!1968
|56,124,743
|2,483,692
|840,624
|1,643,068
|44.2
|15.0
|29.2
| -1.8
|147.0
|6.80
|53.5
|52.3
|-
!1969
|57,676,805
|2,524,648
|831,202
|1,693,446
|43.7
|14.4
|29.3
| -1.6
|144.5
|6.80
|54.2
|53.3
|-
!1970
|59,290,872
|2,584,996
|style="color:blue;"|818,806
|1,766,190
|43.5
|13.8
|29.8
| -1.8
|142.1
|6.80
|55.0
|54.6
|-
!1971
|60,878,781
|2,648,206
|985,142
|1,663,064
|43.4
|16.2
|27.3
| -0.5
|145.5
|6.80
|49.0
|52.2
|-
!1972
|62,509,565
|2,712,779
|838,978
|1,873,801
|43.3
|13.4
|29.9
| -3.1
|137.9
|style="color:blue;"|6.81
|55.4
|55.1
|-
!1973
|64,285,624
|2,785,335
|852,459
|1,932,876
|43.3
|13.2
|30.0
| -1.6
|136.0
|6.81
|55.5
|55.5
|-
!1974
|66,149,169
|2,853,960
|874,080
|1,979,880
|43.1
|13.2
|29.9
| -0.9
|134.3
|6.81
|55.4
|55.6
|-
!1975
|68,126,999
|2,931,237
|882,423
|2,048,814
|43.0
|13.0
|30.1
| -0.2
|132.5
|6.81
|55.8
|56.2
|-
!1976
|70,230,923
|3,015,342
|900,018
|2,115,324
|42.9
|12.8
|30.1
| 0.8
|131.0
|6.81
|55.9
|56.5
|-
!1977
|72,451,105
|3,116,181
|922,294
|2,193,887
|43.0
|12.7
|30.3
| 1.3
|129.6
|6.80
|55.8
|56.9
|-
!1978
|74,789,330
|3,223,019
|934,553
|2,288,466
|43.1
|12.5
|30.6
| 1.7
|128.1
|6.78
|56.3
|57.4
|-
!1979
|77,407,341
|3,337,688
|950,235
|2,387,453
|43.2
|12.3
|30.9
| 4.1
|126.6
|6.76
|56.5
|58.1
|-
!1980
|80,624,057
|3,487,787
|970,044
|2,517,743
|43.5
|12.1
|31.4
| 10.2
|125.1
|6.73
|56.8
|58.6
|-
!1981
|84,270,202
|3,700,274
|1,001,060
|2,699,214
|44.2
|11.9
|32.2
| 13.0
|123.6
|6.70
|57.1
|59.3
|-
!1982
|87,828,198
|3,903,191
|1,035,663
|2,867,528
|44.6
|11.8
|32.7
| 9.5
|122.1
|6.67
|57.4
|59.8
|-
!1983
|91,080,372
|4,067,866
|1,057,064
|3,010,802
|44.7
|11.6
|style="color:blue;"|33.1
| 3.9
|120.5
|6.64
|57.7
|60.5
|-
!1984
|94,003,867
|4,188,905
|1,075,240
|3,113,665
|44.5
|11.4
|33.1
| -1.0
|118.8
|6.62
|58.0
|61.0
|-
!1985
|97,121,552
|4,291,612
|1,100,992
|3,190,620
|44.2
|11.4
|32.9
| 0.3
|117.0
|6.59
|58.5
|60.4
|-
!1986
|100,618,523
|4,453,073
|1,131,849
|3,321,224
|44.3
|11.3
|33.0
| 3.0
|115.2
|6.55
|58.8
|60.3
|-
!1987
|104,251,093
|4,602,418
|1,185,062
|3,417,356
|44.2
|11.4
|32.8
| 3.3
|113.3
|6.52
|58.5
|59.8
|-
!1988
|107,967,838
|4,749,506
|1,208,574
|3,540,932
|44.0
|11.2
|32.8
| 2.9
|111.5
|6.48
|58.5
|60.4
|-
!1989
|111,670,386
|4,877,528
|1,229,672
|3,647,856
|43.7
|11.0
|32.7
| 1.6
|109.6
|6.43
|58.7
|60.7
|-
!1990
|115,414,069
|4,979,805
|1,238,482
|3,741,323
|43.1
|10.7
|32.4
| 1.1
|107.8
|6.36
|59.0
|61.4
|-
!1991
|119,203,569
|5,070,548
|1,256,930
|3,813,618
|42.5
|10.5
|32.0
| 0.8
|105.9
|6.29
|59.4
|61.3
|-
!1992
|122,375,179
|5,146,942
|1,290,628
|3,856,314
|41.8
|10.5
|31.3
| -4.7
|103.9
|6.21
|59.6
|60.7
|-
!1993
|125,546,615
|5,116,844
|1,309,418
|3,807,426
|40.8
|10.4
|30.3
| -4.4
|101.7
|6.11
|59.6
|60.4
|-
!1994
|129,245,139
|5,188,381
|1,321,834
|3,866,547
|40.1
|10.2
|29.9
| -0.4
|99.5
|6.01
|59.7
|60.6
|-
!1995
|133,117,476
|5,214,150
|1,355,586
|3,858,564
|39.2
|10.2
|29.0
| 1.0
|97.2
|5.89
|59.5
|60.4
|-
!1996
|137,234,810
|5,283,367
|1,351,457
|3,931,910
|38.5
|9.9
|28.7
| 2.2
|94.7
|5.77
|59.9
|61.1
|-
!1997
|141,330,267
|5,323,160
|1,363,688
|3,959,472
|37.7
|9.7
|28.0
| 1.8
|92.3
|5.64
|59.9
|61.5
|-
!1998
|145,476,106
|5,391,873
|1,360,060
|4,031,813
|37.1
|9.4
|27.7
| 1.6
|89.9
|5.51
|60.2
|62.1
|-
!1999
|149,694,462
|5,457,820
|1,350,165
|4,107,655
|36.5
|9.0
|27.5
| 1.5
|87.5
|5.39
|60.8
|62.8
|-
!2000
|154,369,924
|5,503,880
|1,349,760
|4,154,120
|35.8
|8.8
|27.0
| 4.2
|85.3
|5.26
|61.2
|63.1
|-
!2001
|159,217,727
|5,621,718
|1,365,265
|4,256,453
|35.3
|8.6
|26.8
| 4.6
|83.3
|5.12
|61.4
|63.6
|-
!2002
|163,262,807
|5,707,878
|1,383,913
|4,323,965
|34.9
|8.5
|26.4
| -1.0
|81.5
|5.01
|61.7
|63.7
|-
!2003
|166,876,680
|5,705,869
|1,389,323
|4,316,546
|34.1
|8.3
|25.8
| -3.7
|79.8
|4.88
|61.9
|64.0
|-
!2004
|170,648,620
|5,728,041
|1,397,637
|4,330,404
|33.5
|8.2
|25.3
| -2.7
|78.4
|4.75
|61.9
|64.4
|-
!2005
|174,372,098
|5,741,665
|1,467,794
|4,273,871
|32.9
|8.4
|24.5
| -2.7
|77.9
|4.64
|61.2
|64.0
|-
!2006
|178,069,984
|5,780,328
|1,397,071
|4,383,257
|32.4
|7.8
|24.6
| -3.4
|75.7
|4.53
|62.1
|65.7
|-
!2007
|181,924,521
|5,939,254
|1,421,100
|4,518,154
|32.6
|7.8
|24.8
| -3.2
|74.5
|4.51
|61.9
|66.1
|-
!2008
|185,931,955
|6,026,112
|1,440,035
|4,586,077
|32.4
|7.7
|24.6
| -2.6
|73.1
|4.43
|61.9
|66.5
|-
!2009
|190,123,222
|6,126,953
|1,466,094
|4,660,859
|32.2
|7.7
|24.5
| -2.0
|71.8
|4.36
|62.1
|66.5
|-
!2010
|194,454,498
|6,251,649
|1,479,575
|4,772,074
|32.1
|7.6
|24.5
| -1.7
|70.5
|4.30
|62.3
|66.9
|-
!2011
|198,602,738
|6,344,791
|1,497,860
|4,846,931
|31.9
|7.5
|24.3
| -3.0
|68.8
|4.23
|62.5
|67.1
|-
!2012
|202,205,861
|6,416,601
|1,518,663
|4,897,938
|31.6
|7.5
|24.1
| -6.0
|67.1
|4.17
|62.7
|67.2
|-
!2013
|205,337,562
|style="color:blue;"|6,432,644
|1,512,911
|style="color:blue;"|4,919,733
|31.2
|7.3
|23.8
| -8.3
|65.5
|4.11
|63.0
|67.6
|-
!2014
|208,251,628
|6,374,716
|1,522,217
|4,852,499
|30.5
|7.3
|23.2
| -9.0
|63.8
|4.01
|63.1
|67.7
|-
!2015
|210,969,298
|6,297,466
|1,504,820
|4,792,646
|29.7
|7.1
|22.6
| -9.6
|62.1
|3.90
|63.5
|68.2
|-
!2016
|213,524,840
|6,291,208
|1,510,500
|4,780,708
|29.3
|7.0
|22.3
| -10.2
|60.4
|3.83
|63.7
|68.3
|-
!2017
|216,379,655
|6,289,965
|1,496,276
|4,793,689
|29.0
|6.9
|22.1
| -8.7
|58.8
|3.76
|64.0
|68.8
|-
!2018
|219,731,479
|6,302,081
|1,508,129
|4,793,952
|28.6
|style="color:blue;"|6.8
|21.8
| -6.3
|57.1
|3.69
|64.2
|69.0
|-
!2019
|223,293,280
|6,330,933
|1,514,600
|4,816,333
|28.3
|6.8
|21.5
| -5.3
|55.5
|3.62
|64.6
|69.1
|-
!2020
|227,196,741
|6,362,705
|1,606,293
|4,756,412
|28.0
|7.1
|20.9
| -3.4
|53.9
|3.56
|63.9
|68.8
|-
!2021
|231,402,117
|6,374,741
|style="color:red;"|1,660,400
|4,714,341
|style="color:red;"|27.5
|7.2
|20.4
| -1.9
|52.3
|style="color:red;"|3.47
|63.8
|68.6
|}


]
====Seraiki====
]
] is related to Punjabi (See ]) Spoken as a first language by 11% of Pakistanis, mostly in the Southern districts of ] (see ]). All most 10% of the population of Pakistan speak Siraiki language. Dialects tend to blend into each other, into Punjabi to the east, and Sindhi to the south. Until recently it was considered to be a dialect of Punajbi. 85% lexical similarity with Sindhi; 68% with Odki and Sansi. Dialects are Derawali, Khatki, Jangli or Jatki and Riasti or Bahawalpuri. ] or Multani (also Lehndi by some) and perhaps differs from Punjabi more than any other dialect. Multani becomes more and more different as you move down south, as the influence of Sindhi increases, it is also known as Siraiki there. Siraiki itself is Sindhi word and means northern. See the map of Siraiki language: Siraiki Area's City of Mulatn, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bhakkar, Dera Ismail Khan, Khanewal, Muzafargarh, Sukkur, Jaccobabad, Layyah and Mianwali.


==Human development==
====Balochi ''(Provincial Language)''====
] is spoken as a first language by 4% of Pakistanis, mostly in Balochistan. Sindh and southern Punjab. Baluchi language is spoken by almost 3% of the Pakistani population and is very close to the Persian language itself. The name BALUCHI or BALOCHI is not found before the 10th Century. It is believed that the language was brought to its present location in a series of migrations from Northern Iran, near the Caspian Shores. Rakshani is the major dialect group in terms of numbers. Sarhaddi, is a sub dialect of Rakshani. Other sub - dialects are qalati, Chagai-kharani, Panjguri. Eastern Hill Baluchi or Northern Baluchi is very different from the rest.


===Human Development Index===
====Gujarati ''(Regional Language)''====
{{Further|List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index}}
] is spoken by 100,000 Pakistanis who reside in Lower Punjab and Sindh. All Parsis (approximately 2,000-3,000), many Ismaili Muslims, and many Hindus (10,000 to 100,000) speak Gujarati. Many Parsis and Ismaili Muslims are literate in Gujarati.


Pakistan's ] (HDI) value for 2018 is in the medium human development category with a score of 0.560 (152nd rank out of 189 countries and territories) compared to ] and ]. From 1990 to 2018, Pakistan's HDI increased 38.6% from 0.404 to 0.560.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://hdr.undp.org/en/2018-update| title = 2019 HD Report| date = January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/PAK.pdf| title = Human Development Indices and Indicators: 2018 Statistical Update: Pakistan}}</ref>
====Persian====
] is considered to be cultural language of ]. Although ] has neither official status nor any importance in number (possibly less than 1% of the population speaks Persian), it had for long been the ''lingua franca'' of the ] and was the official and cultural language of the ]. Persian has influenced Urdu immensly, and is still appreciated as a literary and prestigious language among the educated elite, espeiclly in fields of music (]) and art. In fact, Pakistan's national anthem - the ] - is written in a highly Persianized form of ] that almosts sounds as if the anthem were actually written in ].


2018 Information on Pakistani provinces/regions, compared to other countries, estimated at three decimal places is provided below:<ref name="Subnational HDR">{{Cite web|title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab |website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|access-date=3 December 2018}}</ref>
Persian (Dari) is also the native tongue of many Afghan refugees currently residing in Pakistan.


{| class="wikitable sortable"
====Arabic====
!Rank
] is considered to be religious language of ]. The ], , ] and ] theology is taught in Arabic with Urdu translation. All Muslims can read and understand limited Arabic.
!Region
!HDI (2018)<ref name="Subnational HDR"/>
|-
! colspan="3" style="color:#fc0;" |Medium human development
|-
|1
|]
|0.875 {{decrease}}
|-
|2
|]
|0.611 {{decrease}}
|-
|3
|]
|0.593 {{increase}}
|-
|4
|]
|0.567 {{increase}}
|- style="background:#e6e6e6"
|–
|{{PAK}} '''(average)'''
|0.561 {{increase}}
|-
! colspan="3" style="color:#900;" |Low human development
|-
|5
|]
|0.533 {{decrease}}
|-
|6
|]
|0.529 {{decrease}}
|-
|7
|]
|0.477 {{increase}}
|-
|8
|]
|0.466 {{decrease}}
|}


====Turkish==== ===Literacy===
Definition: A person who can read a newspaper and write a simple letter in any language with understanding and can make simple calculation is treated as literate. Literacy rates for the population over 10 years old as of 2023 are below.<ref name="Economic Survey 2018–19">{{Cite news |date=2019-06-10 |title="First Ever Digital Census" Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Key Findings Report |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/key_findings_report.pdf |access-date=2024-07-19 |work=Key Findings of 2023 Census Results}}</ref>
] is considered to be ancestral language of ] and has influenced ].


{| class=wikitable
===Other Languages===
| Total population || {{Percentage bar|62.85}}
Numerous other languages are spoken by relatively small numbers of people, especially in some of the more remote and isolated places in, for example, the ].<ref name=ethnologue1></ref> Other Indo-European languages spoken in Pakistan include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and many others. In addition, small groups of non-Indo-European languages are also spoken, including ], a ] language, and ], a language isolate.
|-
| Urban || {{Percentage bar|77.09}}
|-
| Rural || {{Percentage bar|55.56}}
|}


===Educational institutions by kind===
] and ] are also taught in schools and religious institutions.
* Primary schools: 156,592
* ]s: 320,611
* High schools: 23,964
* ]: 3,213
* ]: 1,202
* ]: 3,125
* Universities: 197<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hec.gov.pk/OurInstitutes/Pages/Default.aspx|title=HEC recognized Universities|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209080426/http://www.hec.gov.pk/OurInstitutes/Pages/Default.aspx|archive-date=9 February 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="Pakistan Education Statistics 2007–08">{{cite web |url=http://www.moe.gov.pk/Pakistan%20Education%20Statistics%2007-08.pdf |title=Pakistan Education Statistics 2007–08 |access-date=2010-07-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002183659/http://www.moe.gov.pk/Pakistan%20Education%20Statistics%2007-08.pdf |archive-date=2 October 2011}}</ref>


==Nationality, ethnicity, and language==
===Classification===
====Indo-European====
Nearly all of Pakistan's languages are ].
=====Lahnda dialects=====
Punjabi, Hindko and Siraiki, all ], are classified by linguists as dialects of ],<ref name=ethnologue2></ref> also spelled as Lehnda. These are also, to a lesser extent, mutually intelligible with Urdu. Added together, speakers of these mutually-intelligible languages make up nearly two-thirds of Pakistan's population.


===Ethnic groups===
=====Iranian family of languages=====
{{Main|Ethnic groups in Pakistan}}{{Pie chart
Pashto and Balochi are classified as members of the ].<ref name=ethnologue3></ref> If combined, ] who speak Pashto, Balochi, ] (Afghan refugees speak both Pashto and Dari-Persian) and ] comprise over 1/5 of the population of Pakistan.
|thumb = right
|caption = Ethnic groups in Pakistan (])<ref>{{Citation |title=Pakistan |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/pakistan/ |work=The World Factbook |date=26 May 2022 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref>
|label1 = ]
|value1 = 44.7
|color1 = Green
|label2 = ]
|value2 = 18.24
|color2 = Red
|label3 = ]
|value3 = 14.1
|color3 = Black
|label4 = ]
|value4 = 8.4
|color4 = Maroon
|label5 = ]
|value5 = 7.6
|color5 = DarkGreen
|label6 = ]
|value6 = 3.6
|color6 = White
|label7 = Others
|value7 = 6.3
|color7 = Grey
}}

The major ]s of ] include ], ], ], ], ], ], ]/], ], ], and ]<ref>{{Citation |title=Pakistan |date=2 August 2022 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/pakistan/ |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref>{{refn|Ethnolinguistic groups with a population of more than a million each.<ref name="PakPop">{{Cite web |title=POPULATION BY MOTHER TONGUE, SEX AND RURAL/ URBAN |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/national/table_11.pdf|website=www.pbs.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}}</ref>|name=main|group=note}} with significant numbers of ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and other various minorities.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Qadeer |first=Mohammad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ll02P7G5XD8C&pg=PA40 |title=Pakistan - Social and Cultural Transformations in a Muslim Nation |date=2006-11-22 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-18617-4 |pages=70 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ali |first1=Shaheen Sardar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=60VAsoo-huYC&q=pakistan+ethnic+groups |title=Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Minorities of Pakistan: Constitutional and Legal Perspectives |last2=Rehman |first2=Javaid |date=2013-02-01 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-77868-1 |language=en}}</ref>

Pakistan's census does not include the 1.4&nbsp;million ] who are temporarily residing in ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Registered Afghan Refugees in Pakistan |publisher=UNHCR|date=December 31, 2020|url=https://data2.unhcr.org/en/country/pak|access-date=2021-07-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Onward Movements of Afghan Refugees|date=March–April 2021 |url=https://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/Statistical%20Factsheet%20Onward%20movements%20of%20Afghan%20refugees%20March-April%202021.pdf|publisher=UNHCR|access-date=2021-08-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.unhcr.org/pk/12999-government-to-deliver-first-new-por-smartcards-to-afghan-refugees.html |title=Government delivered first new Proof of Registration smartcards to Afghan refugees |date=May 25, 2021 |access-date=2021-07-30}}</ref> Majority of them were born in Pakistan within the last four decades and are ethnically ], ], ] and others.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 2016 |title=Voluntary Repatriation Update |publisher=UNHCR |location=Pakistan |url=http://unhcrpk.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/VolRep_Summary_20161101_v1.pdf |access-date=2017-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220173655/http://unhcrpk.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/VolRep_Summary_20161101_v1.pdf |archive-date=2017-02-20 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Foreign-born population in Pakistan===
{{Main|Immigration to Pakistan}}
After the ] of ] in 1947, millions of Muslims from India migrated to Pakistan and they are the largest group of foreign-born residents. This group is dwindling because of its age. The second-largest group of foreign-born residents consists of ] from Afghanistan who are expected to leave Pakistan by the end of 2018.<ref name="auto">{{cite news |url=https://www.pajhwok.com/en/2017/12/06/pakistan-extend-stay-afghans-one-more-year |title=Pakistan to extend stay for Afghans by one more year |date=6 December 2017 |access-date=2017-12-06}}</ref> There are also smaller groups of Muslim immigrants from countries such as ], ], ], ], ], ], and ], among others.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

{|
|
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="margin: 0 0 0 0;"
|-
! Year||Population||Foreign born||Percentage foreign born
|-
| 1960||46,259,000||6,350,296||13.73%
|-
| 1970||59,565,000||5,105,556||8.57%
|-
| 1980||79,297,000||5,012,524||6.32%
|-
| 1990||111,698,000||6,555,782||5.87%
|-
| 2000||142,648,000||4,242,689||2.97%
|-
| 2005||157,935,000||3,254,112||2.06%
|}
| ]
|-
| Source:<ref name="gum – globalization urbanization migration">{{cite web |title=Pakistan |website=gum: globalization urbanization migration |url=http://gstudynet.org/gum/Pakistan.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104014238/http://gstudynet.org/gum/Pakistan.htm |archive-date=4 January 2011}}</ref>
| Mostly those born before 1947
|}

===Languages===
{{Main|Languages of Pakistan}}{{Pie chart|thumb=left|caption=Languages of Pakistan (2023 census)<ref>https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/national/table_11.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>|label1=]|value1=36.98|color1=Red|label2=]|value2=18.15|color2=Yellow|label3=]|value3=14.31|color3=Purple|label4=]|value4=12.00|color4=Orange|label5=]|value5=9.25|color5=Green|label6=]|value6=3.38|color6=Blue|label7=]|value7=2.32|color7=Lime|label8=]|value8=1.16|color8=Violet|label9=]|value9=0.46|color9=Black|value10=0.43|label10=]|value11=0.11|value12=0.05|label11=]|label12=]|value13=0.02|label13=]|value14=0.003|label14=]|value15=1.38|label15=Others|color10=Brown|color11=Aqua|color12=Pink|color14=White|color15=Grey}}] is a ] with dozens of languages spoken as ]s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Ashraf |first=Hina |date=2022-03-22 |title=The ambivalent role of Urdu and English in multilingual Pakistan: a Bourdieusian study |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-022-09623-6 |journal=Language Policy |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=25–48 |doi=10.1007/s10993-022-09623-6 |issn=1573-1863 |pmc=8939399 |pmid=35340722}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Ashraf |first1=Muhammad Azeem |last2=Turner |first2=David A. |last3=Laar |first3=Rizwan Ahmed |date=January 2021 |title=Multilingual Language Practices in Education in Pakistan: The Conflict Between Policy and Practice |journal=SAGE Open |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=215824402110041 |doi=10.1177/21582440211004140 |s2cid=232484396 |issn=2158-2440|doi-access=free }}</ref> The majority Pakistan's languages belong to the ] group of the ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rengel |first=Marian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WJMlW-zDE14C&pg=PA38 |title=Pakistan: A Primary Source Cultural Guide |date=2003-12-15 |publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc |isbn=978-0-8239-4001-1 |pages=38}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kachru |first1=Braj B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O2n4sFGDEMYC&pg=PA34 |title=Language in South Asia |last2=Kachru |first2=Yamuna |last3=Sridhar |first3=S. N. |date=2008-03-27 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-46550-2 |pages=34}}</ref>

] is the ] and the ] of Pakistan, and while sharing official status with ], it is the preferred and dominant language used for communication between different ethnic groups.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Numerous regional languages are spoken as first languages by Pakistan's various ethnolinguistic groups. Languages with more than a million speakers each include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name="2017CensusLanguage">{{cite web |date=2021 |title=TABLE 11 – POPULATION BY MOTHER TONGUE, SEX AND RURAL/ URBAN |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/census_2017_tables/pakistan/Table11n.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409115251/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/census_2017_tables/pakistan/Table11n.pdf |archive-date=9 April 2022 |access-date=12 May 2022 |website=www.pbs.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rana |first=Shahbaz |date=2024-07-19 |title=Pakistan 27th in global population growth |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2480881/pakistan-27th-in-global-population-growth |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en |quote=One of the questions in the population census was about the mother-tongue. The number of Urdu speaking people have increased to 9.3% by 2023. But Punjabi-origin people have reduced to 37%. There is also a reduction in the Sindh language speaking people from 14.6% to 14.3%. the Pashto speaking people reduced from 18.3% to 18.2% but Balochi-language people increased from 3% to 3.4%. The number of Saraiki-language people was reduced from 12.2% to 12%.}}</ref>

] lists 74 languages in Pakistan. Of these, 66 are indigenous and 8 are non-indigenous. In terms of their vitality, 7 are classified as 'institutional', 17 are 'developing', 37 are 'vigorous', 10 are 'in trouble', and 3 are 'dying'.<ref>{{Cite web |editor-last1=Eberhard |editor-first1=David M. |editor-last2=Simons |editor-first2=Gary F. |editor-last3=Fennig |editor-first3=Charles D. |year=2019 |title=Pakistan: Status |work=Ethnologue: Languages of the World |edition=22nd |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/pk/status |url-status=deviated |archive-date=17 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417190054/https://www.ethnologue.com/country/PK/status}}</ref>

==Religion==
{{Main|Religion in Pakistan}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Pakistan (2023 census)<ref>{{Cite journal|title=KEY FINDINGS OF 2023 CENSUS|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/key_findings_report.pdf|journal=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Government of Pakistan|pages=1|access-date=19 July 2024}}</ref>
|label1 = ]
|value1 = 96.35
|color1 = Green
|label2 = ]
|value2= 2.17
|color2=Orange
|label3 = ]
|value3 = 1.37
|color3 = Blue
|label4 = Scheduled Castes
|value4 = 0.56
|color4 = Red
|color5 = Black
|value5=0.07|value6=0.04|color6=Gray|label5=]|label6=Others}}
According to the ], ], ], over 96% of the population of Pakistan is Muslim and the remaining 4% is Hindu, Christian, and others.<ref name="Oxford">{{cite web |url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e1809?_hi=1&_pos=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618023219/http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e1809?_hi=1&_pos=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 June 2013 |title=Pakistan, Islam in |access-date=29 August 2010 |work=] |quote=Approximately 97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslim. The majority are Sunnis following the Hanafi school of Islamic law. Between 20 and 25 percent are Shias, mostly Twelvers. |publisher=]}}</ref><ref name="CIA">{{cite web |url= https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html?countryName=Pakistan&countryCode=pk&regionCode=sas&#pk |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090617014724/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html?countryName=Pakistan&countryCode=PK&regionCode=sas&#pk |url-status= dead |archive-date= 17 June 2009 |title=Religions: Muslim 95% (Sunni 65%, Shia 30%), other (includes Hindus and Christians ) 5% |access-date=24 August 2010 |publisher=] |year=2010}}</ref><ref name="LoC">{{cite web |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Pakistan.pdf |title=Country Profile: Pakistan |date=February 2005 |work=] on Pakistan |quote=''Religion: The overwhelming majority of the population (96 percent) is Muslim, of whom approximately 75 percent are Sunni and 25 percent Shi'a.'' |publisher=] |access-date=1 September 2010}}</ref> Majority of the Muslims practice ] with a significant minority of ].

Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the ] school, although there are some Hanbalis and ]. The majority of Shia Muslims belong to the ] branch,<ref name="Oxford"/> while a smaller number practice ]. There are small non-Muslim religious groups, including ], ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, ] and ] (]),<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fuchs |first1=Maria-Magdalena |last2=Fuchs |first2=Simon Wolfgang |date=2019-12-12 |title=Religious Minorities in Pakistan: Identities, Citizenship and Social Belonging |journal=South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=52–67 |doi=10.1080/00856401.2020.1695075 |s2cid=214107453 |issn=0085-6401|doi-access=free }}</ref>

{{Bar chart
| title = Religious breakdown of the Pakistani population as of Pakistan Census 2023:
| label_type = Religion | data_type = Population
|label1= ] |data1= 231,686,709
|label2= ] |data2= 5,217,216
|label3= ] |data3= 3,300,788
|label4= Scheduled Castes |data4= 1,349,487
|label5= ] |data5= 162,684
|data6=90,692|label6=Others}}

=== Recent changes and detailed demographic data ===

] released religious data of Pakistan Census 2017 on 19 May 2021.<ref name="pbk2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1624375/pakistans-population-is-20768m-shows-2017-census-result|title=Pakistan's population is 207.68m, shows 2017 census result|date=19 May 2021 }}</ref> 96.47% are Muslims, followed by 2.174% Hindus, 1.27% Christians, 0.09% Ahmadis and 0.02% others.

The 2017 census showed marginal increase in the share of ].The census also recorded Pakistan's first Hindu-majority district, called ].

On the other hand, ] in Pakistan, while increasing in raw numbers, has fallen significantly in percentage terms since the last census. Christians are concentrated in the most developed parts of Pakistan, ] (over 5% Christian), ] (over 4% Christian), and Northern Punjab.

The ] movement shrunk in size (both raw numbers and percentage) between 1998 and 2017, while remaining concentrated in ], ], where approximately 13% of the population is Ahmadiyya.
{{multiple image |align=center |total_width=960 | caption_align = center

|header_align=left
|header=Here are some maps of ]'s religious minority groups as of the 2017 census by district:

|image1=Hindu Proportion by Pakistani District - 2017 Census.svg
|caption1=Hindu Proportion of each Pakistani District of each Pakistani District as of the ]
|image3=Christian Proportion by Pakistani District - 2017 Census.svg
|caption3=Christian Proportion of each Pakistani District of each Pakistani District as of the ]
|image2=Qadiani Proportion by Pakistani District - 2017 Census.svg
|caption2=Ahmadiyya Proportion of each Pakistani District of each Pakistani District as of the ]

|footer_align=left
|footer=Virtually all people not belonging to one of these minority groups were Sunni or Shia Muslim, with the most religiously homogeneous areas found in ].
}}

==Pakistanis around the world==
{{main|Overseas Pakistanis}}
{| class="wikitable"
| {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}||align="right"| 4,000,000</tr>

| {{flag|United Arab Emirates}}||align="right"| 1,600,000 </tr>
| {{flag|United Kingdom}}||align="right"| 1,200,000</tr>
| {{flag|United States}}||align="right"| 687,942<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/09/2020-census-dhc-a-asian-population.html|title=U.S. Census website|author=Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS)|access-date=14 January 2024}}</ref></tr>
| {{flag|Canada}}||align="right"| 215,000<ref name="www12.statcan.gc.ca">{{cite web|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/dt-td/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=110528&PRID=10&PTYPE=109445&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2017&THEME=120&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=|title=Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity Highlight Tables – Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Canada, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data|first=Government of Canada, Statistics|last=Canada|website=www12.statcan.gc.ca|date=25 October 2017 }}</ref></tr>
| {{flag|Kuwait}}||align="right"| 190,000</tr>
| {{flag|South Africa}}||align="right"| 180,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psaa.org.za|title=About PSAA |access-date=29 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921093651/http://psaa.org.za/ |archive-date=21 September 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref></tr>
| {{flag|Oman}}||align="right"| 385,000</tr>
| {{flag|Australia}}||align="right"| 61,913<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/urdu/en/article/2017/06/28/most-pakistanis-and-urdu-speakers-live-australian-state|title=Most Pakistanis and Urdu speakers live in this Australian state|website=sbs.com.au|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref></tr>
| {{flag|Germany}}||align="right"| 179,668</tr>
| {{flag|Qatar}}||align="right"| 52,500</tr>
| {{flag|France}}||align="right"| 50,000</tr>
| {{flag|Norway}}||align="right"| 39,257<ref>{{Cite web|title=05183: Innvandrere og norskfødte med innvandrerforeldre, etter kjønn og landbakgrunn 1970–2021-PX-Web SSB|url=https://www.ssb.no/system/|access-date=2021-09-27|website=SSB|language=no}}</ref></tr>
| {{flag|Denmark}}||align="right"| 21,000</tr>
| {{flag|New Zealand}}||align="right"| 10,000</tr>
| {{flag|Ireland}}||align="right"| 9,501</tr>
| {{flag|Japan}}||align="right"| 22,118<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=datalist&toukei=00250012&tstat=000001018034&cycle=1&year=20220&month=24101212&tclass1=000001060399 | title=在留外国人統計（旧登録外国人統計） 在留外国人統計 月次 2022年12月 &#124; ファイル &#124; 統計データを探す }}</ref></tr>
|}


==See also==
====Dravidian ''(Regional Language)''====
* ]
] belongs to the ]. ] is a major language of western Pakistan.<ref name=ethnologue4></ref> Brahui is heavily influenced by Baluchi and Sindhi, languages in which many Brahui speakers are necessarily bilingual. Although its Dravidian descent is still obvious, Brahui now has rahter few inherited Dravidian words in its lexicon.
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==See also == ==Notes==
{{NoteFoot}}
*]
*]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|40em}}
<references/>

===Sources===
*{{Cite conference| last = Baart| first = Joan L. G.| date = 2003| title = Sustainable Development and the Maintenance of Pakistan's Indigenous Languages| location = Islamabad| url = https://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/38917}}
*{{Cite report| last1=Lothers| first1=Michael| last2=Lothers| first2=Laura| date=April 2010| title=Pahari and Pothwari: a sociolinguistic survey| series=SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2010-012| url=https://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/9130}}
*{{Cite journal| first=Robert| last=Parkin| journal=Indo-Iranian Journal |pages=37–43 |title=Some comments on Brahui kinship terminology| volume=32| issue=1| date=January 1989 |doi=10.1007/BF00182435 | doi-broken-date=2 November 2024|jstor=24654607 |s2cid=161638780}}
*{{Cite journal| last = Rahman| first = Tariq| author-link = Tariq Rahman| title = The Siraiki Movement in Pakistan| journal = Language Problems & Language Planning| date = 1995| volume = 19| issue = 1| doi = 10.1075/lplp.19.1.01rah| pages = 1–25}}
*{{Cite book| last = Rahman| first = Tariq| author-link = Tariq Rahman| date = 1996| title = Language and politics in Pakistan| publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-577692-8}}
*{{Cite book| last1 = Rensch| first1 = Calvin R.| editor-last1 = O'Leary| editor-first1 = Clare F.| editor-last2 = Rensch| editor-first2 = Calvin R.| editor-last3 = Hallberg| editor-first3 = Calinda E.| date = 1992| title = Hindko and Gujari| chapter = The Language Environment of Hindko-Speaking People| isbn = 969-8023-13-5| publisher = National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University and Summer Institute of Linguistics| location = Islamabad| series = Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan| chapter-url = http://www.sil.org/resources/archives/38573}}
*{{Cite journal| last = Shackle| first = Christopher| author-link = Christopher Shackle| date = 1977| title = Siraiki: A Language Movement in Pakistan| journal = Modern Asian Studies| issn = 0026-749X| volume = 11| issue = 3| pages = 379–403| jstor = 311504| doi=10.1017/s0026749x00014190| s2cid = 144829301}}
*{{Cite journal| last = Shackle| first = Christopher| author-link = Christopher Shackle| title = Problems of classification in Pakistan Punjab| journal = Transactions of the Philological Society| date = 1979| doi = 10.1111/j.1467-968X.1979.tb00857.x| issn = 0079-1636| volume = 77| issue = 1| pages = 191–210}}
*{{Cite journal| last = Shackle| first = Christopher| author-link = Christopher Shackle| date = 1980| doi = 10.1017/S0041977X00137401| issn = 0041-977X| volume = 43| issue = 3| pages = 482–510| title = Hindko in Kohat and Peshawar| journal = Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies| s2cid = 129436200}}


==External links== ==External links==
*
* http://www.infopak.gov.pk/public/people/index.html
* – Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
* *
* – Population by mother tongue
* https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/pk.html
*
* http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/other_tables/pop_by_mother_tongue.pdf
* http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/intro/islam-barelvi.htm


{{Life in Pakistan}} {{Ethnic groups in Pakistan}}
{{Pakistan topics}}
{{Asia topic|Demographics of}}
{{Asia topic|Ethnic groups in}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Demographics Of Pakistan}}
] ]

]
]
]

Latest revision as of 22:18, 5 November 2024

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Pakistan. For a general overview of the citizens of Pakistan, see Pakistanis.

Demographics of Pakistan
Population pyramid of Pakistan as of July 1, 2021
Population241,492,197 (2023 census)
Density260.8/km (675/sq mi)
248.9/km (645/sq mi) (including AJK and GB)
Growth rateIncrease 1.85% (2021 est.)
Birth rate22.5 births / 1,000 population (2023 est.)
Death rate7.2 deaths / 1,000 population (2021 est.)
Life expectancy69.1 years (2022 est.)
 • male66.8 years (2022 est.)
 • female71.6 years (2022 est.)
Fertility rate3.32 children born / woman (2024 est.)
Net migration rate−2.0 migrants / 1,000 population (2021 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years37.2% (2020)
15–64 years58.6% (2020)
65 and over4.2% (2020)
Nationality
Nationalitynoun: Pakistani
Major ethnicSee Ethnic groups of Pakistan
Language
SpokenSee Languages of Pakistan

Pakistan had a population of 241,495,112 according to the final results of the 2023 Census. This figure includes Pakistan's four provinces e.g. Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Balochistan and Islamabad Capital Territory. AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan's census data is yet to be approved by CCI Council of Pakistan. Pakistan is the world's fifth most populous country.

Between 1951 and 2017, Pakistan's population expanded over sixfold, going from 33.7 million to 207.7 million. The country has a relatively high, although declining, growth rate supported by high birth rates and low death rates. Between 1998 and 2017, the average annual population growth rate stood at +2.40%.

Dramatic social changes have led to urbanization and the emergence of two megacities: Karachi and Lahore. The country's urban population more than tripled between 1981 and 2017 (from 23.8 million to 75.7 million), as Pakistan's urbanisation rate rose from 28.2% to 36.4%. Even with this, the nation's urbanisation rate remains one of the lowest in the world, and in 2017, over 130 million Pakistanis (making up nearly 65% of the population) lived in rural areas.

Due to a high fertility rate, which was estimated at 3.5 in 2022, Pakistan has one of the world's youngest populations. The 2017 census recorded that 40.3% of the country's population was under the age of 15, while only 3.7% of Pakistanis were aged 65 or more. The median age of the country was 19, while its sex ratio was recorded to be 105 males per 100 females.

The demographic history of Pakistan from the ancient Indus Valley civilization to the modern era includes the arrival and settlement of many cultures and ethnic groups in the modern region of Pakistan from Eurasia and the nearby Middle East. Because of this, Pakistan has a multicultural, multilinguistic, and multiethnic society. Despite Urdu being Pakistan's lingua franca, estimates on how many languages are spoken in the country range from 75 to 85, and in 2023, the country's three largest ethnolinguistic groups were the Punjabis (making up 36.98% of the total population), the Pashtuns (18.15%), and the Sindhis (14.31%). Pakistan is also thought to have the world's fourth-largest refugee population, estimated at 1.4 million in mid-2021 by the UNHCR.

Population

Main article: Census in Pakistan
Historical Population of Pakistan (four provinces and Islamabad)
YearPop.±% p.a.
1951 33,740,167—    
1961 42,880,378+2.43%
1972 65,309,340+3.90%
1981 84,253,644+2.87%
1998 132,352,279+2.69%
2017 207,684,626+2.40%
2023 241,492,917+2.55%
Source:

The 2017 census recorded a population of 207,684,626 living in Pakistan's four provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory. The census also reported that Azad Kashmir's population stood at 4,045,367 and Gilgit-Baltistan's population was 1,492,924. This meant that the total population of Pakistan in 2017 was 213,222,917.

The statistics in the graphs below were created by the United Nations in July 2022, and are covered in more detail in the following section. This data includes Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.For years, the country with a population exceeding 230 million has been grappling to achieve economic stability. The people of Pakistan are living in a precarious situation, with an uncertain future in the country.

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Population Density per square kilometre of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistan Census
Population of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistan Census

Estimates from the United Nations

In July 2022, the United Nations published its 2022 World Population Prospects, a bi annually-updated database where key demographic indicators are estimated and projected worldwide down to the country level. They prepared estimates of Pakistan's population for every year from 1950 to 2021, as well as projections for future decades. This data includes Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Projections are highlighted in light yellow, and future figures are taken from the medium fertility variant.

Year Population % Population
aged 0 to 14 		% Population
aged 15 to 64 		% Population
aged 65 or more
1950 37,696,264 40.5% 54.0% 5.5%
1955 40.3% 55.3% 4.4%
1960 45,954,226 40.6% 55.6% 3.7%
1965 51,841,626 42.3% 54.4% 3.4%
1970 59,290,872 43.7% 53.0% 3.3%
1975 68,126,999 43.9% 52.8% 3.4%
1980 80,624,057 43.0% 53.5% 3.4%
1985 97,121,552 43.0% 53.5% 3.5%
1990 115,414,069 43.7% 52.8% 3.5%
1995 133,117,476 44.4% 52.1% 3.5%
2000 154,369,924 42.9% 53.6% 3.5%
2005 174,372,098 41.1% 55.4% 3.5%
2010 194,454,498 39.2% 57.0% 3.7%
2015 210,969,298 38.4% 57.7% 3.9%
2020 227,196,741 37.3% 58.6% 4.2%
2025 249,948,885 35.3% 60.2% 4.5%
2030 274,029,836 33.2% 61.9% 4.9%
2035 298,432,780 31.7% 63.1% 5.2%
2040 322,595,767 29.5% 64.8% 5.7%
2045 345,818,945 28.1% 65.8% 6.2%
2050 367,808,468 26.6% 66.5% 6.9%

Structure of population

Median Age of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistan Census

The table below shows Pakistan's population structure by five-year age group and sex using data from the 2023 census. The country's population structure is relatively young, with a median age of 19. With low death rates and a declining birth rate, the country is in the third stage of its Demographic transition. In 2017, Pakistan's sex ratio stood at 105 males per 100 females, which is much more balanced than South Asia as a whole.

The statistics below do not contain Azad Kashmir or Gilgit-Baltistan, which disseminate their census data separately from Pakistan's four provinces and Islamabad.

Age Group Male Female Total Sex ratio Percent
Total 123,824,681 116,613,077 240,458,089 106.12 100.0%
0 – 4 18,744,989 17,726,432 36,471,421 105.1 14.0%
5 – 9 16,566,852 15,705,284 32,272,136 108.8 14.5%
10 – 14 14,971,914 13,817,137 28,790,182 111.8 11.8%
15 – 19 12,581,753 11,569,893 24,154,118 108.0 10.3%
20 – 24 10,323,755 10,141,864 20,468,713 100.0 8.9%
25 – 29 8,946,770 9,016,962 17,967,161 98.8 7.9%
30 – 34 7,730,953 8,026,004 15,759,670 96.4 6.8%
35 – 39 7,313,967 7,047,727 14,364,278 102.2 5.8%
40 – 44 6,471,820 6,063,242 12,536,758 101.5 4.6%
45 – 49 5,095,175 4,624,839 9,721,110 104.9 3.8%
50 – 54 4,219,234 3,827,003 8,047,113 110.4 3.3%
55 – 59 3,455,455 2,933,026 6,388,995 113.8 2.4%
60 – 64 2,247,341 2,063,695 4,311,861 108.9 2.1%
65 – 69 1,557,733 1,393,718 2,952,013 111.8 1.4%
70 – 74 1,131,916 1,001,805 2,134,220 113.0 1.0%
75 or more 1,338,251 1,287,621 2,626,523 103.9 1.26%
Age Group Male Female Total Sex ratio Percent
0 – 14 43,533,720 40,182,776 83 716 496 108.3 40.3%
15 – 64 58,778,374 57,478,712 116,257,086 102.3 56.0%
65+ 4,027,900 3,683,144 7,711,044 109.4 3.7%

Population distribution

Pakistan's population is distributed unevenly, with over half of the country's people living in the Punjab province. On the other hand, Balochistan, which is geographically Pakistan's largest province, is its least-populated. The population is mainly clustered around the most agriculturally fertile areas, particularly the Indus River and its tributaries. Most of the country's people live in rural areas, but two large and growing megacities exist: the coastal Karachi and Lahore in eastern Punjab. Numerous smaller cities (such as Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and the capital Islamabad) dot the rest of the country.

By province

The table below shows Pakistan's provinces and territories by their historical population. While every one of Pakistan's administrative units currently has a growing population, the pace of growth is uneven throughout the country due to differing levels of fertility, mortality, as well as domestic and international migration. Populations pertaining to the modern borders of provinces are shown.

Province or Territory 1951 1961 1972 1981 1998 2017 2023
 Punjab 20,540,762 25,463,974 37,607,423 47,292,441 73,691,290 109,989,655 127,688,922
 Sindh 6,047,748 8,367,065 14,155,909 19,028,666 30,439,893 47,854,510 55,696,147
 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 5,888,550 7,578,186 10,879,781 13,259,875 20,919,976 35,501,964 40,856,097
 Balochistan 1,167,167 1,353,484 2,428,678 4,332,376 6,565,885 12,335,129 14,894,402
 ICT — 117,669 237,549 340,286 805,235 2,003,368 2,363,863
Four Provinces and ICT 33,740,167 42,880,378 65,309,340 84,253,644 132,352,279 207,684,626 241,499,431
 Azad Kashmir 886,000 1,065,000 1,573,000 1,983,465 2,972,501 4,045,367
 Gilgit-Baltistan — — — — 884,000 1,492,924
Total Pakistan — — — — 136,208,780 213,222,917

Urbanization

The following table shows how Pakistan has urbanised. As is true with population growth, urbanisation is an uneven and nonlinear process. With an urbanisation rate of 54% as of 2023, Sindh is the country's most urbanised province. This is largely fuelled by the growth of Karachi, which economically dominates the province and attracts migrants from the rest of the country. On the other hand, the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the territory of Gilgit-Baltistan both share very low urbanisation rates.

Province or Territory 1951 1961 1972 1981 1998 2017 2023
 Punjab 17.3% 21.5% 24.4% 27.6% 31.3% 36.9% 40.7%
 Sindh 29.2% 37.9% 40.4% 43.3% 48.8% 51.9% 54.0%
 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 8.6% 10.3% 11.1% 12.6% 14.3% 16.5% 15.0%
 Balochistan 12.4% 16.9% 16.5% 15.6% 23.9% 27.6% 30.1%
 ICT 0.0% 0.0% 32.3% 60.1% 65.7% 50.4% 46.9%
Four Provinces and ICT 17.7% 22.5% 25.4% 28.3% 32.5% 36.4% 38.9%
 Azad Kashmir — — — 8.1% 12.5% 17.4%
 Gilgit-Baltistan — — — — 16.8% 16.5%

Largest cities

Main article: List of cities in Pakistan by population

As urbanisation has progressed and owing to the country's large population, Pakistan today has many very large urban centers which act as hubs for commerce and culture. The nation has two megacities, Karachi and Lahore. With populations of 18.9 million and 13 million respectively (as of 2023), they are among the world's largest metropolises. The country also has eight more cities with more than 1 million residents each: Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Quetta, and Islamabad. All of them play a significant role in the country, housing nearly 19 million people altogether.

Below a list showing Pakistan's cities with a population over 500,000 as of the 2023 census can be found, which not only shows the current populations of the cities, but also their growth rates and locations. The full list can be found on the main article: List of cities in Pakistan by population.

All city population figures below include adjacent cantonments.

City Name Province or Territory 2023 Population Avg. Annual Growth Rate (2017-2023) 2017 Population Avg. Annual Growth Rate (1998-2017) 1998 Population
Karachi  Sindh 18,868,021 Increase4.05% 14,884,402 Increase 2.48% 9,339,023
Lahore  Punjab 13,004,135 Increase2.65% 11,119,985 Increase 4.06% 5,209,088
Faisalabad  Punjab 3,691,999 Increase2.37% 3,210,158 Increase 2.49% 2,008,861
Rawalpindi  Punjab 3,357,612 Increase8.18% 2,097,824 Increase 2.11% 1,409,768
Gujranwala  Punjab 2,668,047 Increase3.55% 2,028,421 Increase 3.11% 1,132,509
Multan  Punjab 2,215,381 Increase2.85% 1,872,641 Increase 2.38% 1,197,384
Hyderabad  Sindh 1,921,275 Increase1.53% 1,733,622 Increase 2.10% 1,166,894
Peshawar  KPK 1,905,975 Decrease-0.55% 1,969,823 Increase 3.72% 982,816
Quetta  Balochistan 1,565,546 Increase7.79% 999,385 Increase 3.04% 565,137
Islamabad  ICT 1,108,872 Increase1.59% 1,009,003 Increase 3.45% 529,180
Sargodha  Punjab 975,886 Increase6.81% 658,208 Increase 1.92% 458,440
Sialkot  Punjab 911,817 Increase5.64% 656,730 Increase 2.36% 421,502
Bahawalpur  Punjab 903,795 Increase2.88% 762,774 Increase 3.34% 408,395
Jhang  Punjab 606,533 Increase6.58% 414,309 Increase 1.83% 293,366
Sheikhupura  Punjab 591,424 Increase3.80% 472,269 Increase 2.79% 280,263
Gujrat  Punjab 574,240 Increase6.65% 390,758 Increase 2.34% 251,792
Sukkur  Sindh 563,851 Increase2.02% 500,401 Increase 2.12% 335,551
Larkana  Sindh 551,716 Increase2.07% 488,006 Increase 3.15% 270,283
Sahiwal  Punjab 538,344 Increase5,59% 388,795
Okara  Punjab 533,693 Increase6.90% 358,146
Rahim Yar Khan  Punjab 519,261 Increase3.57% 420,963 Increase 3.14% 233,537
Kasur  Punjab 510,875 Increase6.11% 358,296

Vital statistics

As Pakistan lacks a national vital statistics system that publicly disseminates data, all of the following information is made from estimates, which are constantly being revised. The United Nations estimated that in February 2021, only 42% of births in Pakistan were officially registered, making it the world's most populous country where more than half of births remained unregistered. The United Nations was unable to estimate how many deaths were officially registered.

Estimates based on surveys

Surveys taken by the Pakistani government or intergovernmental organisations are seen as the most reliable method of keeping tabs on birth, death, fertility, and infant mortality rates in a country without a reliable vital registration system. The data recorded in these surveys is used by the United Nations in order to estimate historical and future fertility and mortality figures for Pakistan in the World Population Prospects.

Survey Crude birth rate Crude death rate Infant mortality rate Total fertility rate Life expectancy
Urban Rural Total Male Female
DHS 2006–07 30.7 — 78 3.30 4.49 4.08 — —
PSLM 2007–08 — — 69 3.13 4.41 3.95 — —
PSLM 2011–12 — — 63 3.26 4.35 3.95 — —
DHS 2012–13 — — 74 3.16 4.20 3.84 — —
PSLM 2013–14 — — 65 3.24 4.35 3.95 — —
DHS 2017–18 29 — 62 2.93 3.94 3.56 — —
PSLM 2018–19 — — 60 3.01 4.21 3.75 — —
PMMS 2019 — — — — — — 64.3 66.5
PDS 2020 27 6.7 56 3.07 4.11 3.72 64.5 65.5

Regional fertility rates

Many of the surveys above also recorded fertility rate data broken down by each of Pakistan's administrative units, while many more surveys have been taken explicitly focusing on a specific province or territory. The fertility rate data recorded in these surveys is displayed in the table below.

Survey Punjab Sindh KPK Balochistan ICT AJK G-B Pakistan
DHS 2006–07 3.9 4.3 4.3 4.1 — — — 4.08
MICS Punjab 2011 3.6 — — — — — — —
DHS 2012–13 3.8 3.9 3.9 4.2 3.0 — 3.8 3.84
MICS Punjab 2014 3.5 — — — — — — —
MICS Sindh 2014 — 4.0 — — — — — —
MICS KPK 2016–17 — — 4.0 — — — — —
MICS G-B 2016–17 — — — — — — 4.6 —
DHS 2017–18 3.4 3.6 4.1 4.0 3.0 3.5 4.7 3.56
MICS Punjab 2017–18 3.7 — — — — — — —
MICS Sindh 2018–19 — 3.7 — — — — — —
MICS KPK 2019 — — 4.0 — — — — —
MICS Balochistan 2019-20 — — — 4.0 — — — —
MICS AJK 2020–21 — — — — — 3.4 — —

The MICS surveys above also provide data on the district level, although they come with a far higher margin of error. This margin of error is lessened for larger districts from where larger sample sizes were utilised. In the chart below, the latest fertility rate data for each Pakistani district with a population of over 2 million as of the 2017 census can be found. Although the table is originally ranked by district population size, clicking the headers will allow the reader to sort the table.

District Province Total fertility rate Margin of error Year of survey 2017 Population
Lahore  Punjab 3.1 ±0.2 2017–18 11,119,985
Faisalabad  Punjab 3.3 ±0.2 2017–18 7,882,444
Rawalpindi  Punjab 3.2 ±0.2 2017–18 5,402,380
Gujranwala  Punjab 3.4 ±0.2 2017–18 5,011,066
Rahim Yar Khan  Punjab 4.6 ±0.4 2017–18 4,807,762
Multan  Punjab 3.6 ±0.3 2017–18 4,746,166
Peshawar  KPK 4.0 ±0.5 2019 4,331,959
Muzaffargarh  Punjab 4.7 ±0.3 2017–18 4,328,549
Karachi West  Sindh 2.2 ±0.3 2018–19 3,907,065
Sialkot  Punjab 3.5 ±0.3 2017–18 3,894,938
Sargodha  Punjab 3.6 ±0.3 2017–18 3,696,212
Bahawalpur  Punjab 3.9 ±0.4 2017–18 3,669,176
Sheikhupura  Punjab 3.7 ±0.3 2017–18 3,460,004
Qasur  Punjab 4.3 ±0.3 2017–18 3,454,881
Okara  Punjab 4.3 ±0.4 2017–18 3,040,826
Bahawalnagar  Punjab 3.7 ±0.3 2017–18 2,975,656
Karachi Central  Sindh 2.2 ±0.3 2018–19 2,971,382
Khanewal  Punjab 4.0 ±0.4 2017–18 2,920,233
Vehari  Punjab 3.8 ±0.3 2017–18 2,902,081
Karachi East  Sindh 3.2 ±0.4 2018–19 2,875,315
Dera Ghazi Khan  Punjab 5.4 ±0.5 2017–18 2,872,631
Gujrat  Punjab 3.1 ±0.2 2017–18 2,756,289
Jhang  Punjab 4.3 ±0.4 2017–18 2,742,633
Korangi  Sindh 2.5 ±0.3 2018–19 2,577,556
Sahiwal  Punjab 3.6 ±0.4 2017–18 2,513,011
Khairpur  Sindh 4.8 ±0.8 2018–19 2,405,190
Mardan  KPK 4.0 ±0.3 2019 2,373,399
Swat  KPK 4.5 ±0.5 2019 2,308,624
Quetta  Balochistan 4.7 ±0.3 2019-20 2,269,473
Hyderabad  Sindh 3.0 ±0.4 2018–19 2,199,928
Toba Tek Singh  Punjab 3.5 ±0.3 2017–18 2,191,495
Sanghar  Sindh 4.2 ±0.4 2018–19 2,049,873
Islamabad  ICT 3.0 ±0.3 2017–18 2,003,368

Estimates from the United Nations

In July 2022, the United Nations published its 2022 World Population Prospects, a biennially-updated database where key demographic indicators are estimated and projected worldwide down to the country level. They prepared the following estimates of demographic indicators in Pakistan for every year from 1950 to 2021, as well as projections for future decades. This data includes Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Year Mid-year
population 		Annual
live births 		Annual
deaths 		Annual
natural
increase 		CBR CDR RNC Crude migration rate (per 1,000) IMR TFR Life expectancy
Male Female
1950 37,696,264 1,647,739 1,173,219 474,520 43.7 31.1 12.6 263.4 6.80 36.2 33.4
1951 38,215,785 1,686,378 1,121,858 564,520 44.1 29.4 14.8 -1.0 252.9 6.80 37.5 34.6
1952 38,816,777 1,727,288 1,089,817 637,471 44.5 28.1 16.4 -0.7 243.3 6.80 38.6 35.8
1953 39,488,228 1,768,524 1,063,098 705,426 44.8 26.9 17.9 -0.6 234.1 6.80 39.8 36.9
1954 40,224,090 1,810,574 1,044,277 766,297 45.0 26.0 19.0 -0.4 225.6 6.80 40.7 37.9
1955 41,023,128 1,853,944 1,022,153 831,791 45.2 24.9 20.3 -0.4 217.4 6.80 41.8 39.0
1956 41,884,995 1,900,510 1,008,574 891,936 45.4 24.1 21.3 -0.3 209.6 6.80 42.7 39.8
1957 42,808,511 1,948,801 993,703 955,098 45.5 23.2 22.3 -0.3 202.2 6.80 43.7 40.7
1958 43,794,993 1,999,584 981,704 1,017,880 45.6 22.4 23.2 -0.2 195.2 6.80 44.6 41.6
1959 44,843,639 2,049,555 970,149 1,079,406 45.7 21.6 24.1 -0.2 188.7 6.80 45.5 42.5
1960 45,954,226 2,102,786 961,020 1,141,766 45.7 20.9 24.8 0 182.6 6.80 46.3 43.4
1961 47,060,915 2,157,005 951,411 1,205,594 45.8 20.2 25.6 -1.5 176.7 6.80 47.2 44.2
1962 48,161,841 2,201,790 939,942 1,261,848 45.6 19.5 26.2 -2.8 171.2 6.80 48.0 45.0
1963 49,325,050 2,247,761 922,383 1,325,378 45.5 18.7 26.8 -2.6 166.0 6.80 48.8 46.3
1964 50,552,592 2,293,167 907,551 1,385,616 45.3 17.9 27.4 -2.5 161.2 6.80 49.7 47.4
1965 51,841,626 2,340,733 897,333 1,443,400 45.1 17.3 27.8 -2.3 157.5 6.80 50.3 48.5
1966 53,199,414 2,388,085 869,523 1,518,562 44.8 16.3 28.5 -2.3 153.2 6.80 51.6 50.0
1967 54,629,793 2,438,389 854,112 1,584,277 44.6 15.6 29.0 -2.1 149.9 6.80 52.6 51.2
1968 56,124,743 2,483,692 840,624 1,643,068 44.2 15.0 29.2 -1.8 147.0 6.80 53.5 52.3
1969 57,676,805 2,524,648 831,202 1,693,446 43.7 14.4 29.3 -1.6 144.5 6.80 54.2 53.3
1970 59,290,872 2,584,996 818,806 1,766,190 43.5 13.8 29.8 -1.8 142.1 6.80 55.0 54.6
1971 60,878,781 2,648,206 985,142 1,663,064 43.4 16.2 27.3 -0.5 145.5 6.80 49.0 52.2
1972 62,509,565 2,712,779 838,978 1,873,801 43.3 13.4 29.9 -3.1 137.9 6.81 55.4 55.1
1973 64,285,624 2,785,335 852,459 1,932,876 43.3 13.2 30.0 -1.6 136.0 6.81 55.5 55.5
1974 66,149,169 2,853,960 874,080 1,979,880 43.1 13.2 29.9 -0.9 134.3 6.81 55.4 55.6
1975 68,126,999 2,931,237 882,423 2,048,814 43.0 13.0 30.1 -0.2 132.5 6.81 55.8 56.2
1976 70,230,923 3,015,342 900,018 2,115,324 42.9 12.8 30.1 0.8 131.0 6.81 55.9 56.5
1977 72,451,105 3,116,181 922,294 2,193,887 43.0 12.7 30.3 1.3 129.6 6.80 55.8 56.9
1978 74,789,330 3,223,019 934,553 2,288,466 43.1 12.5 30.6 1.7 128.1 6.78 56.3 57.4
1979 77,407,341 3,337,688 950,235 2,387,453 43.2 12.3 30.9 4.1 126.6 6.76 56.5 58.1
1980 80,624,057 3,487,787 970,044 2,517,743 43.5 12.1 31.4 10.2 125.1 6.73 56.8 58.6
1981 84,270,202 3,700,274 1,001,060 2,699,214 44.2 11.9 32.2 13.0 123.6 6.70 57.1 59.3
1982 87,828,198 3,903,191 1,035,663 2,867,528 44.6 11.8 32.7 9.5 122.1 6.67 57.4 59.8
1983 91,080,372 4,067,866 1,057,064 3,010,802 44.7 11.6 33.1 3.9 120.5 6.64 57.7 60.5
1984 94,003,867 4,188,905 1,075,240 3,113,665 44.5 11.4 33.1 -1.0 118.8 6.62 58.0 61.0
1985 97,121,552 4,291,612 1,100,992 3,190,620 44.2 11.4 32.9 0.3 117.0 6.59 58.5 60.4
1986 100,618,523 4,453,073 1,131,849 3,321,224 44.3 11.3 33.0 3.0 115.2 6.55 58.8 60.3
1987 104,251,093 4,602,418 1,185,062 3,417,356 44.2 11.4 32.8 3.3 113.3 6.52 58.5 59.8
1988 107,967,838 4,749,506 1,208,574 3,540,932 44.0 11.2 32.8 2.9 111.5 6.48 58.5 60.4
1989 111,670,386 4,877,528 1,229,672 3,647,856 43.7 11.0 32.7 1.6 109.6 6.43 58.7 60.7
1990 115,414,069 4,979,805 1,238,482 3,741,323 43.1 10.7 32.4 1.1 107.8 6.36 59.0 61.4
1991 119,203,569 5,070,548 1,256,930 3,813,618 42.5 10.5 32.0 0.8 105.9 6.29 59.4 61.3
1992 122,375,179 5,146,942 1,290,628 3,856,314 41.8 10.5 31.3 -4.7 103.9 6.21 59.6 60.7
1993 125,546,615 5,116,844 1,309,418 3,807,426 40.8 10.4 30.3 -4.4 101.7 6.11 59.6 60.4
1994 129,245,139 5,188,381 1,321,834 3,866,547 40.1 10.2 29.9 -0.4 99.5 6.01 59.7 60.6
1995 133,117,476 5,214,150 1,355,586 3,858,564 39.2 10.2 29.0 1.0 97.2 5.89 59.5 60.4
1996 137,234,810 5,283,367 1,351,457 3,931,910 38.5 9.9 28.7 2.2 94.7 5.77 59.9 61.1
1997 141,330,267 5,323,160 1,363,688 3,959,472 37.7 9.7 28.0 1.8 92.3 5.64 59.9 61.5
1998 145,476,106 5,391,873 1,360,060 4,031,813 37.1 9.4 27.7 1.6 89.9 5.51 60.2 62.1
1999 149,694,462 5,457,820 1,350,165 4,107,655 36.5 9.0 27.5 1.5 87.5 5.39 60.8 62.8
2000 154,369,924 5,503,880 1,349,760 4,154,120 35.8 8.8 27.0 4.2 85.3 5.26 61.2 63.1
2001 159,217,727 5,621,718 1,365,265 4,256,453 35.3 8.6 26.8 4.6 83.3 5.12 61.4 63.6
2002 163,262,807 5,707,878 1,383,913 4,323,965 34.9 8.5 26.4 -1.0 81.5 5.01 61.7 63.7
2003 166,876,680 5,705,869 1,389,323 4,316,546 34.1 8.3 25.8 -3.7 79.8 4.88 61.9 64.0
2004 170,648,620 5,728,041 1,397,637 4,330,404 33.5 8.2 25.3 -2.7 78.4 4.75 61.9 64.4
2005 174,372,098 5,741,665 1,467,794 4,273,871 32.9 8.4 24.5 -2.7 77.9 4.64 61.2 64.0
2006 178,069,984 5,780,328 1,397,071 4,383,257 32.4 7.8 24.6 -3.4 75.7 4.53 62.1 65.7
2007 181,924,521 5,939,254 1,421,100 4,518,154 32.6 7.8 24.8 -3.2 74.5 4.51 61.9 66.1
2008 185,931,955 6,026,112 1,440,035 4,586,077 32.4 7.7 24.6 -2.6 73.1 4.43 61.9 66.5
2009 190,123,222 6,126,953 1,466,094 4,660,859 32.2 7.7 24.5 -2.0 71.8 4.36 62.1 66.5
2010 194,454,498 6,251,649 1,479,575 4,772,074 32.1 7.6 24.5 -1.7 70.5 4.30 62.3 66.9
2011 198,602,738 6,344,791 1,497,860 4,846,931 31.9 7.5 24.3 -3.0 68.8 4.23 62.5 67.1
2012 202,205,861 6,416,601 1,518,663 4,897,938 31.6 7.5 24.1 -6.0 67.1 4.17 62.7 67.2
2013 205,337,562 6,432,644 1,512,911 4,919,733 31.2 7.3 23.8 -8.3 65.5 4.11 63.0 67.6
2014 208,251,628 6,374,716 1,522,217 4,852,499 30.5 7.3 23.2 -9.0 63.8 4.01 63.1 67.7
2015 210,969,298 6,297,466 1,504,820 4,792,646 29.7 7.1 22.6 -9.6 62.1 3.90 63.5 68.2
2016 213,524,840 6,291,208 1,510,500 4,780,708 29.3 7.0 22.3 -10.2 60.4 3.83 63.7 68.3
2017 216,379,655 6,289,965 1,496,276 4,793,689 29.0 6.9 22.1 -8.7 58.8 3.76 64.0 68.8
2018 219,731,479 6,302,081 1,508,129 4,793,952 28.6 6.8 21.8 -6.3 57.1 3.69 64.2 69.0
2019 223,293,280 6,330,933 1,514,600 4,816,333 28.3 6.8 21.5 -5.3 55.5 3.62 64.6 69.1
2020 227,196,741 6,362,705 1,606,293 4,756,412 28.0 7.1 20.9 -3.4 53.9 3.56 63.9 68.8
2021 231,402,117 6,374,741 1,660,400 4,714,341 27.5 7.2 20.4 -1.9 52.3 3.47 63.8 68.6
Life expectancy in Pakistan since 1921
Life expectancy in Pakistan since 1960 by gender

Human development

Human Development Index

Further information: List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index

Pakistan's Human Development Index (HDI) value for 2018 is in the medium human development category with a score of 0.560 (152nd rank out of 189 countries and territories) compared to 0.614 (135th rank) for Bangladesh and 0.647 (129th rank) for India. From 1990 to 2018, Pakistan's HDI increased 38.6% from 0.404 to 0.560.

2018 Information on Pakistani provinces/regions, compared to other countries, estimated at three decimal places is provided below:

Rank Region HDI (2018)
Medium human development
1 Islamabad Capital Territory 0.875 Decrease
2 Azad Jammu & Kashmir 0.611 Decrease
3 Gilgit-Baltistan 0.593 Increase
4 Punjab 0.567 Increase
–  Pakistan (average) 0.561 Increase
Low human development
5 Sindh 0.533 Decrease
6 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 0.529 Decrease
7 Balochistan 0.477 Increase
8 FATA 0.466 Decrease

Literacy

Definition: A person who can read a newspaper and write a simple letter in any language with understanding and can make simple calculation is treated as literate. Literacy rates for the population over 10 years old as of 2023 are below.

Total population 62.85%
Urban 77.09%
Rural 55.56%

Educational institutions by kind

Nationality, ethnicity, and language

Ethnic groups

Main article: Ethnic groups in Pakistan

Ethnic groups in Pakistan (World Factbook)

  Punjabis (44.7%)  Pashtuns (18.24%)  Sindhis (14.1%)  Saraikis (8.4%)  Muhajirs (7.6%)  Baloch (3.6%)  Others (6.3%)

The major ethnolinguistic groups of Pakistan include Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Saraikis, Muhajirs, Balochs, Hindkowans/Hazarewals, Brahuis, Meos, and Kohistanis with significant numbers of Shina, Baltis, Kashmiris, Paharis, Chitralis, Torwalis, Hazaras, Burusho, Wakhis, Kalash, Siddis and other various minorities.

Pakistan's census does not include the 1.4 million citizens of Afghanistan who are temporarily residing in Pakistan. Majority of them were born in Pakistan within the last four decades and are ethnically Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks and others.

Foreign-born population in Pakistan

Main article: Immigration to Pakistan

After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, millions of Muslims from India migrated to Pakistan and they are the largest group of foreign-born residents. This group is dwindling because of its age. The second-largest group of foreign-born residents consists of refugees from Afghanistan who are expected to leave Pakistan by the end of 2018. There are also smaller groups of Muslim immigrants from countries such as Burma, Bangladesh, Iraq, Somalia, Iran, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, among others.

Year Population Foreign born Percentage foreign born
1960 46,259,000 6,350,296 13.73%
1970 59,565,000 5,105,556 8.57%
1980 79,297,000 5,012,524 6.32%
1990 111,698,000 6,555,782 5.87%
2000 142,648,000 4,242,689 2.97%
2005 157,935,000 3,254,112 2.06%
Source: Mostly those born before 1947

Languages

Main article: Languages of Pakistan

Languages of Pakistan (2023 census)

  Punjabi (36.98%)  Pashto (18.15%)  Sindhi (14.31%)  Saraiki (12.00%)  Urdu (9.25%)  Balochi (3.38%)  Hindko (2.32%)  Brahui (1.16%)  Mewati (0.46%)  Kohistani (0.43%)  Kashmiri (0.11%)  Shina (0.05%)  Balti (0.02%)  Kalasha (0.003%)  Others (1.38%)

Pakistan is a multilingual country with dozens of languages spoken as first languages. The majority Pakistan's languages belong to the Indo-Iranian group of the Indo-European language family.

Urdu is the national language and the lingua franca of Pakistan, and while sharing official status with English, it is the preferred and dominant language used for communication between different ethnic groups. Numerous regional languages are spoken as first languages by Pakistan's various ethnolinguistic groups. Languages with more than a million speakers each include Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, Urdu, Balochi, Hindko, Brahui, Mewati and Kohistani.

Ethnologue lists 74 languages in Pakistan. Of these, 66 are indigenous and 8 are non-indigenous. In terms of their vitality, 7 are classified as 'institutional', 17 are 'developing', 37 are 'vigorous', 10 are 'in trouble', and 3 are 'dying'.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Pakistan

Religion in Pakistan (2023 census)

  Islam (96.35%)  Hinduism (2.17%)  Christianity (1.37%)  Scheduled Castes (0.56%)  Qaidani/Ahmadi (0.07%)  Others (0.04%)

According to the World Factbook, Library of Congress, Oxford University, over 96% of the population of Pakistan is Muslim and the remaining 4% is Hindu, Christian, and others. Majority of the Muslims practice Sunni with a significant minority of Shi'as.

Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi school, although there are some Hanbalis and Ahl-e-Hadees. The majority of Shia Muslims belong to the Ithnā'Ashariyyah branch, while a smaller number practice Ismailism. There are small non-Muslim religious groups, including Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Baháʼís and Zoroastrians (Parsis),

Religious breakdown of the Pakistani population as of Pakistan Census 2023:
Religion Population
Muslims 231,686,709
Hindus 5,217,216
Christians 3,300,788
Scheduled Castes 1,349,487
Ahmadiyya 162,684
Others 90,692

Recent changes and detailed demographic data

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics released religious data of Pakistan Census 2017 on 19 May 2021. 96.47% are Muslims, followed by 2.174% Hindus, 1.27% Christians, 0.09% Ahmadis and 0.02% others.

The 2017 census showed marginal increase in the share of Hindus.The census also recorded Pakistan's first Hindu-majority district, called Umerkot District.

On the other hand, Christianity in Pakistan, while increasing in raw numbers, has fallen significantly in percentage terms since the last census. Christians are concentrated in the most developed parts of Pakistan, Lahore District (over 5% Christian), Islamabad Capital Territory (over 4% Christian), and Northern Punjab.

The Ahmadiyya movement shrunk in size (both raw numbers and percentage) between 1998 and 2017, while remaining concentrated in Lalian Tehsil, Chiniot District, where approximately 13% of the population is Ahmadiyya.

Here are some maps of Pakistan's religious minority groups as of the 2017 census by district:Hindu Proportion of each Pakistani District of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistan CensusAhmadiyya Proportion of each Pakistani District of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistan CensusChristian Proportion of each Pakistani District of each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistan CensusVirtually all people not belonging to one of these minority groups were Sunni or Shia Muslim, with the most religiously homogeneous areas found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistanis around the world

Main article: Overseas Pakistanis
 Saudi Arabia 4,000,000
 United Arab Emirates 1,600,000
 United Kingdom 1,200,000
 United States 687,942
 Canada 215,000
 Kuwait 190,000
 South Africa 180,000
 Oman 385,000
 Australia 61,913
 Germany 179,668
 Qatar 52,500
 France 50,000
 Norway 39,257
 Denmark 21,000
 New Zealand 10,000
 Ireland 9,501
 Japan 22,118

See also

Notes

  1. Ethnolinguistic groups with a population of more than a million each.

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