Census in Pakistan

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Decennial census

title: "Census in Pakistan" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["censuses-in-pakistan", "demographics-of-pakistan"] description: "Decennial census" topic_path: "geography/pakistan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census_in_Pakistan" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Decennial census ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox recurring event"]

FieldValue
namePakistan Census
native_nameمردم شماری پاکستان
native_name_langur
logo_captionThe Bureau of Statistics conducts the census.
status
genre
date
begins
ends
frequency
locationPlot No. 21, Mauve Area,
G-9/1, Islamabad
Pakistan 44080
coordinates
countryPakistan
years_active
first
founder_name
last
prev
organised
peopleAsif Bajwa
Chief Statistician/Chief Census Commissioner
sponsor
website
::

| name = Pakistan Census | native_name = مردم شماری پاکستان | native_name_lang = ur | logo = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = The Bureau of Statistics conducts the census. | logo_size = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | status = | genre = | date = | begins = | ends = | frequency = Decennially (every 10 years) | venue = | location = Plot No. 21, Mauve Area, G-9/1, Islamabad Pakistan 44080 | coordinates = | country = Pakistan | years_active = | first = | founder_name = | last = | prev = | next = | participants = | attendance = | capacity = | area = | budget = | activity = | leader_name = | patron = | organised = | filing = | people = Asif Bajwa Chief Statistician/Chief Census Commissioner | member = | sponsor = | website = | footnotes =

The Census in Pakistan is a legally decennial census and a descriptive count of Pakistan's population on Census Day, and of their dwellings, conducted and supervised by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was the 2023 Pakistani census.

Overview

A national census is mandated by the Constitution of Pakistan to be held every ten years. 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. Since 1951, there have been 7 nationwide censuses (1961, 1972, 1981, 1998, 2017 and 2023). The censuses have often faced delays and postponements due to politicization. For example, the 6th national census after 1998 (which itself faced a delay of 7 years) was scheduled to take place in 2001, later being postponed to 2008, and then again to 2010. There were multiple census counts completed in April 2012, but were subsequently thrown out as being "unreliable". It was ultimately conducted in 2017. The most recent census in 2023 recorded a total population throughout the country of 241,499,431 (excluding Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir).

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. 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. 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%. Hindus in East Pakistan were 18.4%.

1972

The scheduled 1971 census was postponed due to the political crisis of 1970 followed by the India-Pakistan war of 1971 and subsequent loss of East Pakistan through the independence of Bangladesh. In 1970, the population was 65 million in the East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and 58 million in West Pakistan.

According to the 1972 census, the population of Pakistan was 65.3 million. After 1972, the Census Organization was merged into the Ministry of Interior.

1981

According to the 1981 census, the population of Pakistan was 83.783 million.

1998

A UN led census was to be conducted with staff training and GPS digitisation after 1998. As of 2015, the population of Pakistan was estimated at 191.71 million. As of 2016, the population of religious minorities in Pakistan was estimated to have increased to 3 million.

2017

2023

Notes

References

References

  1. "Chief Statistician/Chief Census Commissioner, PBS {{!}} Pakistan Bureau of Statistics". Chief Statistician, Govt. of Pakistan.
  2. "Population Census". Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  3. (18 August 2017). "Why the census is important for Pakistan".
  4. [Article 9] in PART II of Fourth Schedule: Federal Legislative List of [[Constitution of Pakistan]].
  5. (11 September 2016). "Population count: NADRA records cannot substitute for census, says Ravi Pinjani".
  6. (13 April 2006). "Plan to hold census in 2008: Cabinet okays F-16 purchase". dawn.com.
  7. "The census that may reveal too much?".
  8. "Population, housing census in Pakistan after Eid". Pakistan Times.
  9. uzairakhan. "Pakistan's population up by 46.9 per cent since 1998". dawn.com.
  10. "Pak population increased by 46.9% between 1998 and 2011". [[The Times of India]].
  11. Khan, Mubarak Zeb. (2023-08-06). "Population surpasses 240m, new census shows".
  12. "Migration from East Pakistan(1951–1961)".
  13. "Pakistan Bureau of Statistics".
  14. "East Wing beats West Wing in literacy rate".
  15. "Why a census counts".
  16. "Population survey: PM gives green light for sixth census".
  17. "When East overtakes West".
  18. "2.1 Population of Pakistan".
  19. "Census & labour data".
  20. "Population Census Pakistan".
  21. "The Government of Pakistan, Statistics Division in collaboration with UN-Habitat and UNFPA reaffirm their support for the forthcoming Census". ReliefWeb.
  22. "Population, Labour Force and Employment PAKISTAN ECONOMIC SURVEY 2014–15".
  23. "PAKISTAN ECONOMIC SURVEY 2014–15 -GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN MINISTRY OF FINANCE".
  24. [http://www.dawn.com/news/1307120/minorities-vote-bank-reaches-close-to-3m Minorities' vote bank reaches close to 3m]

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censuses-in-pakistandemographics-of-pakistan