The median age in Pakistan grew to almost 20 years in 2020, meaning that half of the population was older than that, half younger. This figure was lowest in between 1975 and 2000 but is projected to rise to 37.3 years by 2100. The meaning of age structure Pakistan has one of the largest populations worldwide, and this statistic presents the median age of that group. This suggests that millions of Pakistanis are too young to work and in need of education. At the same time, the rising life expectancy suggests that the median age will shift upward in the future in a way not predicted by the source. This could be due to different interpretations of infant mortality and other factors by differing sources. Economic implications Having a younger workforce can be a challenge for an economy in the short run. If the country can educate the youth, short-term spending can pay off when those youth become more productive workers. This investment can be costly, however, and Pakistan may not be able to finance this spending if its national debt is too high. The success of the youth depends largely on the country’s fiscal priorities, and this success will shape the country’s outcomes in the medium term.

Pakistan PK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data was reported at 64.671 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 64.971 % for 2016. Pakistan PK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 85.085 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 88.871 % in 1992 and a record low of 64.671 % in 2017. Pakistan PK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Pakistan – Table PK.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: this indicator implies the dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly. Many times single or widowed women who are the sole caregiver of a household have a high dependency ratio.

In 2023, the median age of the population in Sri Lanka was 32.8 years. Contrastingly, the median age of the population in Pakistan was 20.3 years in 2023.

This scatter chart displays population (people) against median age (year) and is filtered where the country is Pakistan. The data is about countries per year.

This statistic shows the age structure in Pakistan from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, about 36.14 percent of Pakistan's total population were aged 0 to 14 years.

In 1865, the average person born in the area of present-day Pakistan could expect to live to just under the age of 26 years old. While this rate would increase somewhat in the 1860s and 1870s, several large-scale famines in the final two decades of the 19th century would see life expectancy fall to less than 22 years by the turn of the century. Unlike the 19 th century, however, life expectancy in Pakistan would see a largely steady increase in the 20th century (outside of declines in the First World War and accompanying influenza pandemic and the Second World Wars) and as a result, life expectancy would climb to over 62 years by 2000. In recent years, life expectancy has continued to improve in Pakistan, and in 2020, the average person born in Pakistan can expect to live to just over the age of 67 years old.

Chart and table of Pakistan life expectancy from 1950 to 2025. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100.

This scatter chart displays median age (year) against electricity production from coal sources (% of total) and is filtered where the country is Pakistan. The data is about countries per year.

This horizontal bar chart displays median age (year) by country using the aggregation sum and is filtered where the country is Pakistan and the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

Pakistan PK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data was reported at 57.270 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 57.559 % for 2016. Pakistan PK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data is updated yearly, averaging 77.791 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 81.448 % in 1991 and a record low of 57.270 % in 2017. Pakistan PK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Pakistan – Table PK.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

In 1800, the population of the area of modern-day Pakistan was estimated to be just over 13 million. Population growth in the 19th century would be gradual in the region, rising to just 19 million at the turn of the century. In the early 1800s, the British Empire slowly consolidated power in the region, eventually controlling the region of Pakistan from the mid-19th century onwards, as part of the British Raj. From the 1930s on, the population's growth rate would increase as improvements in healthcare (particularly vaccination) and sanitation would lead to lower infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy. Independence In 1947, the Muslim-majority country of Pakistan gained independence from Britain, and split from the Hindu-majority country of India. In the next few years, upwards of ten million people migrated between the two nations, during a period that was blemished by widespread atrocities on both sides. Throughout this time, the region of Bangladesh was also a part Pakistan (as it also had a Muslim majority), known as East Pakistan; internal disputes between the two regions were persistent for over two decades, until 1971, when a short but bloody civil war resulted in Bangladesh's independence. Political disputes between Pakistan and India also created tension in the first few decades of independence, even boiling over into some relatively small-scale conflicts, although there was some economic progress and improvements in quality of life for Pakistan's citizens. The late 20th century was also characterized by several attempts to become democratic, but with intermittent periods of military rule. Between independence and the end of the century, Pakistan's population had grown more than four times in total. Pakistan today Since 2008, Pakistan has been a functioning democracy, with an emerging economy and increasing international prominence. Despite the emergence of a successful middle-class, this is prosperity is not reflected in all areas of the population as almost a quarter still live in poverty, and Pakistan ranks in the bottom 20% of countries according to the Human Development Index. In 2020, Pakistan is thought to have a total population of over 220 million people, making it the fifth-most populous country in the world.

Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in Pakistan was reported at 57.66 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Pakistan - Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Pakistan PK: Population: Male: Ages 75-79: % of Male Population data was reported at 0.851 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.841 % for 2016. Pakistan PK: Population: Male: Ages 75-79: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.743 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.851 % in 2017 and a record low of 0.670 % in 1973. Pakistan PK: Population: Male: Ages 75-79: % of Male Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Pakistan – Table PK.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population between the ages 75 to 79 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

The total population in Pakistan was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 23.9 million people (+10.13 percent). After the tenth consecutive increasing year, the total population is estimated to reach 259.8 million people and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the total population was continuously increasing over the past years.As defined by the International Monetary Fund, the total population of a country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.Find more key insights for the total population in countries like Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Nepal.

The life expectancy experiences significant growth in all gender groups in 2022. Comparing the two different gender groups for the year 2022, the 'life expectancy of women at birth' leads the ranking with 68.92 years. Contrastingly, 'life expectancy of men at birth' is ranked last, with 64.13 years. Their difference, compared to life expectancy of women at birth, lies at 4.79 years. Life expectancy at birth refers to the number of years the average newborn is expected to live, providing that mortality patterns at the time of birth do not change thereafter.Find further similar statistics for other countries or regions like Trinidad and Tobago and Mali.

There were 60 116 300 Facebook users in Pakistan in April 2024, which accounted for 25.9% of its entire population. The majority of them were men - 76.6%. People aged 18 to 24 were the largest user group (24 300 000). The highest difference between men and women occurs within people aged 25 to 34, where men lead by 16 800 000.

As of January 2024, one in five global Snapchat users were men between the ages of 18 and 24 years, whilst women of the same age made up 17.8 percent of all users, making this age group the photo app's main target market. Additionally, almost 20 percent of users were between the ages of 13 and 17 years. Overall, people over 35 years are substantially less likely to use Snapchat. Snapchat’s global users Snapchat has experienced significant increases in global audience size in recent years. In 2022, Snapchat had over 548 million users, an increase of over 123 percent when compared with the number of users in 2018. By 2027, it is estimated that 673 million people will be using the app. As of January 2024, India was home to almost 201 million Snapchat users, whilst the United States and Pakistan had 106 million and 30 million users, respectively. Snapchat+ subscription Snapchat released a paid version of the service in June 2022, offering pre-release and experimental features to those willing to pay 3.99 U.S. dollars per month. As of the fourth quarter of 2023, around seven million users were subscribing to Snapchat+. Snapchat is not the only social platform to have introduced a subscription option. Meta Verified, X/Twitter Blue, and Reddit also present advantages to users in exchange for a monthly charge.

Pakistan PK: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 45.000 % in 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 43.000 % for 2011. Pakistan PK: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 44.000 % from Dec 1986 (Median) to 2012, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 62.500 % in 1986 and a record low of 41.500 % in 2001. Pakistan PK: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Pakistan – Table PK.World Bank: Health Statistics. Prevalence of stunting is the percentage of children under age 5 whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. For children up to two years old height is measured by recumbent length. For older children height is measured by stature while standing. The data are based on the WHO's new child growth standards released in 2006.; ; UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child malnutrition estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

Chart and table of Pakistan population from 1950 to 2025. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100.

Abstract

The Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) was fielded on a national basis between the months of December 1990 and May 1991. The survey was carried out by the National Institute of Population Studies with the objective of assisting the Ministry of Population Welfare to evaluate the Population Welfare Programme and maternal and child health services. The PDHS is the latest in a series of surveys, making it possible to evaluate changes in the demographic status of the population and in health conditions nationwide. Earlier surveys include the Pakistan Contraceptive Prevalence Survey of 1984-85 and the Pakistan Fertility Survey of 1975.

The primary objective of the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) was to provide national- and provincial-level data on population and health in Pakistan. The primary emphasis was on the following topics: fertility, nuptiality, family size preferences, knowledge and use of family planning, the potential demand for contraception, the level of unwanted fertility, infant and child mortality, breastfeeding and food supplementation practices, maternal care, child nutrition and health, immunisations and child morbidity. This information is intended to assist policy makers, administrators and researchers in assessing and evaluating population and health programmes and strategies. The PDHS is further intended to serve as a source of demographic data for comparison with earlier surveys, particularly the 1975 Pakistan Fertility Survey (PFS) and the 1984-85 Pakistan Contraceptive Prevalence Survey (PCPS).

MAIN RESULTS

Until recently, fertility rates had remained high with little evidence of any sustained fertility decline. In recent years, however, fertility has begun to decline due to a rapid increase in the age at marriage and to a modest rise in the prevalence of contraceptive use. The lotal fertility rate is estimated to have fallen from a level of approximately 6.4 children in the early 1980s to 6.0 children in the mid-1980s, to 5.4 children in the late 1980s. The exact magnitude of the change is in dispute and will be the subject of further research. Important differentials of fertility include the degree ofurbanisation and the level of women's education. The total fertility rate is estimated to be nearly one child lower in major cities (4.7) than in rural areas (5.6). Women with at least some secondary schooling have a rate of 3.6, compared to a rate of 5.7 children for women with no formal education.

There is a wide disparity between women's knowledge and use of contraceptives in Pakistan. While 78 percent of currently married women report knowing at least one method of contraception, only 21 percent have ever used a method, and only 12 percent are currently doing so. Three-fourths of current users are using a modem method and one-fourth a traditional method. The two most commonly used methods are female sterilisation (4 percent) and the condom (3 percent). Despite the relatively low level of contraceptive use, the gain over time has been significant. Among married non-pregnant women, contraceptive use has almost tripled in 15 years, from 5 percent in 1975 to 14 percent in 1990-91. The contraceptive prevalence among women with secondary education is 38 percent, and among women with no schooling it is only 8 percent. Nearly one-third of women in major cities arc current users of contraception, but contraceptive use is still rare in rural areas (6 percent).

The Government of Pakistan plays a major role in providing family planning services. Eighty-five percent of sterilised women and 81 percent of IUD users obtained services from the public sector. Condoms, however, were supplied primarily through the social marketing programme.

The use of contraceptives depends on many factors, including the degree of acceptability of the concept of family planning. Among currently married women who know of a contraceptive method, 62 percent approve of family planning. There appears to be a considerable amount of consensus between husbands and wives about family planning use: one-third of female respondents reported that both they and their husbands approve of family planning, while slightly more than one-fifth said they both disapprove. The latter couples constitute a group for which family planning acceptance will require concerted motivational efforts.

The educational levels attained by Pakistani women remain low: 79 percent of women have had no formal education, 14 percent have studied at the primary or middle school level, and only 7 percent have attended at least some secondary schooling. The traditional social structure of Pakistan supports a natural fertility pattern in which the majority of women do not use any means of fertility regulation. In such populations, the proximate determinants of fertility (other than contraception) are crucial in determining fertility levels. These include age at marriage, breastfeeding, and the duration of postpartum amenorrhoea and abstinence.

The mean age at marriage has risen sharply over the past few decades, from under 17 years in the 1950s to 21.7 years in 1991. Despite this rise, marriage remains virtually universal: among women over the age of 35, only 2 percent have never married. Marriage patterns in Pakistan are characterised by an unusually high degree of consangninity. Half of all women are married to their first cousin and an additional 11 percent are married to their second cousin.

Breasffeeding is important because of the natural immune protection it provides to babies, and the protection against pregnancy it gives to mothers. Women in Pakistan breastfeed their children for an average of20months. Themeandurationofpostpartumamenorrhoeais slightly more than 9 months. After tbebirth of a child, women abstain from sexual relations for an average of 5 months. As a result, the mean duration of postpartum insusceptibility (the period immediately following a birth during which the mother is protected from the risk of pregnancy) is 11 months, and the median is 8 months. Because of differentials in the duration of breastfeeding and abstinence, the median duration of insusceptibility varies widely: from 4 months for women with at least some secondary education to 9 months for women with no schooling; and from 5 months for women residing in major cities to 9 months for women in rural areas.

In the PDHS, women were asked about their desire for additional sons and daughters. Overall, 40 percent of currently married women do not want to have any more children. This figure increases rapidly depending on the number of children a woman has: from 17 percent for women with two living children, to 52 percent for women with four children, to 71 percent for women with six children. The desire to stop childbearing varies widely across cultural groupings. For example, among women with four living children, the percentage who want no more varies from 47 percent for women with no education to 84 percent for those with at least some secondary education.

Gender preference continues to be widespread in Pakistan. Among currently married non-pregnant women who want another child, 49 percent would prefer to have a boy and only 5 percent would prefer a girl, while 46 percent say it would make no difference.

The need for family planning services, as measured in the PDHS, takes into account women's statements concerning recent and future intended childbearing and their use of contraceptives. It is estimated that 25 percent of currently married women have a need for family planning to stop childbearing and an additional 12 percent are in need of family planning for spacing children. Thus, the total need for family planning equals 37 percent, while only 12 percent of women are currently using contraception. The result is an unmet need for family planning services consisting of 25 percent of currently married women. This gap presents both an opportunity and a challenge to the Population Welfare Programme.

Nearly one-tenth of children in Pakistan die before reaching their first birthday. The infant mortality rate during the six years preceding the survey is estimaled to be 91 per thousand live births; the under-five mortality rate is 117 per thousand. The under-five mortality rates vary from 92 per thousand for major cities to 132 for rural areas; and from 50 per thousand for women with at least some secondary education to 128 for those with no education.

The level of infant mortality is influenced by biological factors such as mother's age at birth, birth order and, most importantly, the length of the preceding birth interval. Children born less than two years after their next oldest sibling are subject to an infant mortality rate of 133 per thousand, compared to 65 for those spaced two to three years apart, and 30 for those born at least four years after their older brother or sister.

One of the priorities of the Government of Pakistan is to provide medical care during pregnancy and at the time of delivery, both of which are essential for infant and child survival and safe motherhood. Looking at children born in the five years preceding the survey, antenatal care was received during pregnancy for only 30 percent of these births. In rural areas, only 17 percent of births benefited from antenatal care, compared to 71 percent in major cities. Educational differentials in antenatal care are also striking: 22 percent of births of mothers with no education received antenatal care, compared to 85 percent of births of mothers with at least some secondary education.

Tetanus, a major cause of neonatal death in Pakistan, can be prevented by immunisation of the mother during pregnancy. For 30 percent of all births in the five years prior to the survey, the mother received a tetanus toxoid vaccination. The differentials are about the same as those for antenatal care generally.

Eighty-five percent of the