A national census is mandated by the
Constitution of
Pakistan to be held every
ten years.[3][4] After the
independence of
Pakistan in 1947, the first census took place in 1951 under Finance Minister
Sir Malik Ghulam, serving under Prime Minister
Liaquat Ali Khan.[5] Since 1951, there have been only 6 nationwide censuses (1961, 1972, 1981, 1998 and 2017). Delays and postponements have often been due to politicization. Pakistan's last completed census took place in 2017. The next national census was scheduled to take place in 2001 and later 2008,[6][7] and again in 2010, but none of those plans could materialize.[8][better source needed] There were multiple census counts completed for the latest round in April 2012,[9][10] but were subsequently thrown out as being "unreliable". A UN led census was to be conducted with staff training and
GPS digitisation.[11] As of 2015, the population of Pakistan is estimated at 191.71 million.[12][13] As of 2016, the population of religious minorities in Pakistan have increased to 3 million.[14] On 25 August 2017, the official results declared Pakistan's population to be 207.74 million.[15]
.
Census
1951
According to 1951 census, the
Dominion of Pakistan (both West and East Pakistan) had a population of 75.7 million, in which
West Pakistan had a population of 33.7 million and
East Pakistan (today
Bangladesh) had a population of 42 million.[16][17] In 1951, minorities constituted 14.4% of the
Pakistani population (this includes East Pakistan, today Bangladesh). Breaking down between East and West Pakistan, the population of West Pakistan was 3.44% non-Muslim (1.16 million out of 33.7 million), while East Pakistan (today Bangladesh) was 23.20% non-Muslim (9.744 million out of 42 million). Total non- Muslim population on both sides added up to 10.90 million.
1961
According to the 1961 census, the population of
Pakistan was 93 million, with 42.8 million residing in
West Pakistan and 50 million residing in
East Pakistan.[16][17] The literacy was 19.2%, in which East Pakistan had a literacy rate of 21.5% while West Pakistan had a literacy rate of 16.9%.[18] Hindus in East Pakistan were 18.4%[19]
According to the 1972 census, the population of Pakistan was 65.3 million.[23][24] After 1972, the Census Organization was merged into the
Ministry of Interior.[25]
1981
According to the 1981 census, the population of Pakistan was 83.783 million.
The
1998 Census of Pakistan was the fifth Pakistani national census. It provided a detailed enumeration of the population of
Pakistan at the time it was conducted under the authority of the
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, an agency of the
Government of Pakistan.[26] According to the 1998 census, the population of Pakistan proper (excluding
disputed territories) stood at 130,857,717 people. With the inclusion of the population of
Azad Jammu & Kashmir and
Gilgit-Baltistan, the population stood at 134,714,017 people. Despite being mandated by the
Constitution of Pakistan to be held every 10 years, this was the first census to take place in Pakistan after the 1981 census that took place 17 years earlier, and the next census would not be held for another 19 years,
until 2017. The inconsistencies in Pakistan's national elections are due in part to
political turmoil and
instability within the country.
The census recorded a total population throughout the country of 213,222,917.[note 1] The results showed a massive population increase having occurred between 1998 and 2017 of 77.0 million people, or an increase of +56.5%.[note 2] The results also marked a significantly higher result compared to estimations made of the Pakistani population before the census, which had previously estimated the Pakistani population in 2017 to be between 195 million and 200 million.[30][31]
The census was initially held from 1 March 2023 to 1 April 2023. However, enumeration was later extended several times until 30 May 2023, because of incomplete enumeration in large cities such as
Karachi,
Lahore, and
Faisalabad, where people are more mobile and therefore harder to count, and in remote and rural
Balochistan. The extension was also used by PBS officials and census takers for quality reviews, to check if all households and people were properly counted in each area.[37][38][39] The 2023 census recorded a total population throughout the country of 241,492,917 (excluding
Gilgit-Baltistan and
Azad Kashmir).[40][41]
^
ab"Statistical Yearook 2020"(PDF). Statistical Yearbook 2020.pdf. AJ&K Bureau of Statistics Planning & Development Department. 5 January 2021.
Archived(PDF) from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
^
ab"GILGIT-BALTISTAN at a GLANCE 2020"(PDF). Gilgit Baltistan at a Glance New Design.cdr. Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Planning & Development Department Statistical & Research Cell (SRC). 20 January 2021.
Archived(PDF) from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
^"Download Files". World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations. United Nations.
Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.