Pakistan's population surges to 241.5 million as per first digital census

Pakistan's population has surged to 241.5 million, with around 7.8 percent of the total population unemployed, as revealed by the updated detailed results of the 7th Population and Housing Census 2023.

This census, conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) marks the first-ever digital census in the nation’s history.

The unemployment rate among the working population stands at approximately 11 percent. This comprehensive census, which took place from March to May 2023, is recognized as the largest digitization exercise in South Asia and the first of its kind in Pakistan.

The census results, approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) on August 5, 2023, indicate a 16.28 percent increase in Pakistan’s population since the last census in 2017, which recorded 207.7 million people. The average annual growth rate has slightly increased to 2.55 percent from 2.40 percent in 2017.

Population Breakdown by Province:

- Punjab remains the most populous province with 127.7 million people, accounting for 52.9 percent of the total population.

- Sindh follows with 55.7 million people (23.1 percent).

- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 40.9 million people (16.9 percent).

- Balochistan has 14.9 million people (6.2 percent).

- Islamabad, the federal capital, has a population of 2.36 million.

Urbanization:

The census highlighted that 38.88 percent of Pakistan’s population now resides in urban areas, up from 36.44 percent in 2017. Sindh boasts the highest urbanization rate at 53.97 percent, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the lowest at 15.01 percent.

Gender Distribution:

The census data reveals a sex ratio of 106.12 males per 100 females, indicating a slight increase from 104.91 in 2017. The transgender population was recorded at 20,331, a slight decrease from 21,774 in 2017.

Literacy:

The literacy rate has seen a marginal improvement, with 60.65 percent of the population aged 10 and above now literate, compared to 58.91 percent in 2017. Punjab leads with a 66 percent literacy rate, while Balochistan lags behind at 42 percent.

Out-of-School Children:

Alarmingly, 35.60 percent of children aged 5-16 are out of school, with Balochistan reporting the highest rate at 58 percent.

The 2023 census represents a significant transition from traditional paper-based methods to a fully digital process. Over 126,000 tablet devices were deployed for data collection, and a self-enumeration web portal allowed 2.6 million households to submit their information online.

The digital infrastructure featured real-time monitoring, geo-tagging of structures, and high-resolution satellite imagery provided by SUPARCO, marking a new era in data collection and analysis for Pakistan.

This landmark census not only underscores the rapid population growth and urbanization trends in Pakistan but also highlights the ongoing challenges in areas such as unemployment, education, and gender distribution.