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.

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.

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

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.

Pakistan PK: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data was reported at 1.087 Ratio in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.087 Ratio for 2016. Pakistan PK: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data is updated yearly, averaging 1.086 Ratio from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2017, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.096 Ratio in 2002 and a record low of 1.064 Ratio in 1992. Pakistan PK: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births 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. Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births. The data are 5 year averages.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

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

In 2023, the share of urban population in Pakistan remained nearly unchanged at around 38.04 percent. Still, the share reached its highest value in the observed period in 2023. The urban population refers to the share of the total population living in urban centers. Each country has their own definition of what constitutes an urban center (based on population size, area, or space between dwellings, among others), therefore international comparisons may be inconsistent.

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

The literacy rate measures the percentage of people aged 15 and above who are able to read and write. In 2019, Pakistan's total literacy rate was around 58 percent, with less than 46.49 percent of women being literate and more than 69.29 percent of men.

Women in Pakistan need education

In Pakistan, women’s education is in dire need of improvement, and so far, the number of illiterate women has not decreased - on the contrary, it has been going up for years. Although education for both genders is not prohibited in Pakistan, women are generally not as well educated as men. But it doesn’t stop there: Pakistan is one of the countries deemed worst for women in general when it comes to quality of life and safety.

Economy and education

Pakistan is a predominantly Muslim country with a low urbanization rate, meaning the majority of its population live in rural areas, where education is traditionally harder to come by than in cities. Pakistan is still a developing country, and typically, most of the inhabitants work in the primary sector, since Pakistan is rich in arable land. However, the tertiary sector generates the lion’s share of GDP. If the country wants to make the leap to being a developed nation, education and equality need to be higher on the list.

The death rate in Pakistan decreased by 0.2 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (-2.79 percent) in 2022 in comparison to the previous year. This decrease was preceded by an increase in death rate.The crude death rate is the annual number of deaths divided by the total population, expressed per 1,000 people.Find more statistics on other topics about Pakistan with key insights such as fertility rate of women aged between 15 and 19 years old, female smoking rate, and rate of children immunized against measles in the age group of 12 to 23 months.

In 2023, the unemployment rate in Pakistan was at approximately 5.41 percent, a slight decrease from 5.49 percent the previous year. Unemployment as an economic key indicatorThe unemployment rate of a country represents the share of people without a job in the country’s labor force, i.e. unemployed persons among those who are able and/or willing to work. Among other factors, it takes population growth into account, and thus increases in the labor force, as well as the age of the population. A high unemployment rate usually indicates economic troubles, with a popular example being Greece, where the unemployment rate skyrocketed from 7.76 percent in 2008 to 27.5 percent as a result of the Great Recession. From plowshares to keyboardsWhile Pakistan’s unemployment slumped below the one percent mark in 2010, it is now on the rise again and currently standing at just over four percent. Traditionally, most Pakistanis work in agriculture however, the lion’s share of the country’s GDP is generated by services, like tourism, banking, and IT. While agriculture is still important for Pakistan’s economy, the services sector is gaining ground in the country, and more and more people are moving to urban areas from the countryside to find jobs in the cities.

The crude birth rate in Pakistan saw no significant changes in 2022 in comparison to the previous year 2021 and remained at around 27.23 live births per 1,000 inhabitants. Yet 2022 saw the lowest rate in Pakistan with 27.23 live births per 1,000 inhabitants. The crude birth rate is the annual number of live births in a given population, expressed per 1,000 people. When looked at in unison with the crude death rate, the rate of natural increase can be determined.Find more statistics on other topics about Pakistan with key insights such as death rate, total life expectancy at birth, and male smoking rate.

The total fertility rate in Pakistan decreased by 0.1 children per woman (-2.88 percent) compared to the previous year. As a result, the fertility rate in Pakistan saw its lowest number in 2022 with 3.41 children per woman. Total fertility rates refer to the average number of children that a woman of childbearing age (generally considered 15 to 44 years) can expect to have throughout her reproductive years. Unlike birth rates, which are based on the actual number of live births in a given population, fertility rates are hypothetical (similar to life expectancy), as they assume that current patterns in age-specific fertility will remain constant throughout a woman's reproductive years.Find more statistics on other topics about Pakistan with key insights such as male smoking rate, crude birth rate, and number of refugees residing.

Pakistans Gesamtbevölkerung erreicht im Jahr 2023 geschätzt rund 247,5 Millionen Einwohner. Binnen eines Jahres hat sich die Einwohnerzahl Pakistans erneut um rund 3,8 Millionen Menschen erhöht und sich weiterhin um rund zwei Prozent jährlich, wenngleich sich die positive Bevölkerungsentwicklung von Pakistan seit 2009 verlangsamt. Für das Jahr 2024 wird eine Gesamtbevölkerung Pakistans von rund 251,3 Millionen Menschen prognostiziert. Die hohe Fertilitätsrate von Pakistan von rund 3,5 Kindern je Frau ist ausschlaggebend für das starke Bevölkerungswachstum. Wann hat Pakistan 300 Millionen Einwohner? Bereits jetzt ist Pakistan eines der bevölkerungsreichsten Länder der Welt (Platz 5) und diese Platzierung wird das Land wohl auch mittelfristig nicht einbüßen. Langfristige Bevölkerungsprognosen sind zwar aufgrund der Komplexität stets mit Vorsicht zu betrachten, aber auch in einer moderaten Berechnungsvariante, die eine sich leicht verringernde Fertilitätsrate voraussetzt, würde Pakistan in der Rangliste der Länder mit der größten Bevölkerung in der Zukunft noch vor dem Jahr 2050 die 300-Millionen-Einwohner-Marke erreichen. Natürliche Bevölkerungsentwicklung oder Migration? Grundsätzlich kann bei der Bevölkerungsentwicklung zwischen dem natürlichen Bevölkerungswachstum und der Zuwachsrate (allgemeines Bevölkerungswachstum) unterschieden werden:natürliches Bevölkerungswachstum

Das natürliche Bevölkerungswachstum ergibt sich aus der Verrechnung von Geburten und Todesfällen.

Zuwachsrate

Bei der Zuwachsrate wird das natürliche Bevölkerungswachstum mit dem Migrationssaldo, also dem Saldo aus Immigration (Einwanderung) und Emigration (Auswanderung) verrechnet.

Zusammenhang

Industrieländer benötigen im Allgemeinen eine Geburtenrate (Fertilitätsrate) von durchschnittlich 2,1 Kindern je Frau, um den Bestand der Population konstant zu halten (Bestandserhaltungsniveau). Für ein positives Bevölkerungswachstum wird dementsprechend eine höhere Geburtenrate oder ein positiver Migrationssaldo benötigt.

In 2022, 36.43 percent of the workforce in Pakistan worked in the agricultural sector, about a quarter worked in industry, and 38.05 percent in the services sector. The primary sectorThe most common breakdown of a country’s economy is into three sectors; the primary sector, which includes agriculture, raw materials, fishing, and hunting, the secondary sector, which is also called the industrial sector and includes manufacturing, and the tertiary sector, which encompasses intangible goods and services, like financial services, tourism, or telecommunications. Usually, an advanced economy focuses on the services sector, while in a developing economy, the primary sector is still prevalent. In Pakistan, agriculture plays an important role in trade and production, and most Pakistanis are employed in the agricultural sector – however, the services sector generates the lion’s share of GDP Is Pakistan on the verge of being a developed country?Typically, a developed country shifts GDP generation and employment to intangible goods, which also often means that its citizens move to the city, away from rural areas. In Pakistan, urbanization progresses slowly, and most inhabitants live in rural areas. One reason for this is Pakistan’s vast arable land area, which allows for the production and export of raw materials. To be a developed country, Pakistan still needs to put in some work and improve the standard of living and infrastructure, among other factors.

In 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in Pakistan increased by 129.6 U.S. dollars (+8.89 percent) compared to 2023. In total, the GDP per capita amounted to 1,587.6 U.S. dollars in 2024. This indicator describes the gross domestic product per capita at current prices. Thereby the gross domestic product was first converted from national currency to U.S. dollars at current exchange prices and then divided by the total population. The gross domestic products is a measure of a country's productivity. It refers to the total value of goods and service produced during a given time period (here a year).Find more key insights for the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in countries like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and India.