Pakistan’s population at 208 million!!!!!
According to the provisional census data presented to the Council of Common Interest (CCI) on 25th August Pakistan's population has surged to 207.77 million, having experienced a 57 per cent increase since the last census in 1998.
The annual growth rate has been recorded at 2.4 per cent over a time period of 1998 to 2017.
It reveals an acceleration in the population growth rate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), even as growth in Punjab and Sindh has slowed compared to previous results.
An increase in the urban-rural ratio has been observed in all administrative units except Islamabad, which nonetheless remains the second most urbanised unit of the country.
Over 52pc of Sindh's residents live in urban areas, which have surpassed the capital territory as the most urbanised territory of Pakistan. Close to 36.4pc of Pakistanis live in urban areas, the provisional results reveal.
Balochistan, the least urbanised of Pakistan's provinces, has experienced the fastest average annual growth rate since 1998 of 3.37pc. Punjab's average annual growth rate remained the slowest at 2.13pc, slightly below the national average of 2.4pc.
The provisional results exclude data from POJK, which is likely to be included in the final report.
Important takeaways from the census include an overall increase in the population from the 1998 census by 57% and from the 1981 census by 146.6%.
Punjab's population is the highest at 110 million while Sindh follows next with 47 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa third with 30 million, Balochistan fourth at 12 million.
FATA has a population of roughly 5 million people while the Islamabad Capital Territory has a population of 2 million.
Important figures
According to the census, about 32 million households are present in the country with the number of males recorded at 106 million, females at 101 million and the transgender population at 10,418.
Unsurprisingly, Punjab was the most densely populated province with 110 million people, followed by Sindh with 47 million, KP with 30 million, Balochistan with 12 million, FATA with 5 million and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) with 2 million.
The highest average annual growth rate from 1998 to 2017 was recorded in rural areas of Islamabad Capital Territory at 6.95pc.
The lowest average annual growth rate was recorded in the rural population of Punjab at 1.81pc.
The overall sex ratio was recorded at 105.07; 103.72 in rural areas, 107.47 in urban areas
The lowest sex ratio was recorded in KP, with the number being 101.6 in rural KP and 107.83 in urban KP. The highest sex ratio was present at ICT at 111.04; 108.41 at rural areas, and an alarming 113.68 in urban areas.
The transgender population in the country was recorded at 10,418. Interestingly, not a single individual who identified with the transgender community was recorded in urban FATA.
The Provisional summary results show an overall increase in population by 57pc over the year 1998, while the population increased by 146.6pc since 1981-census.
However, there has been a decline in the population growth rate at the national level and in Punjab and Sindh Provinces, while an increase has been observed in the provinces of KP, Balochistan and FATA.
As per the provisional results, the urban population shows a growing trend with 36.38pc of the population living in urban areas.
On the other hand, a significant decrease has been observed in the percentage of urban population in ICT which gone down from 65.72pc to 50.58pc, indicating that growth occurred in the rural areas of Islamabad.
Amongst the provinces, Sindh is the most urbanised province, where 52.02pc population lives in urban areas.
Census in Pakistan
The first census in the country was conducted in 1951, followed by second in 1961, third in 1972, instead of 1971 due to political turmoil, and the fourth in 1981.
The fifth census, which was due in 1991, was held in March 1998. The army assisted the authorities in conducting the last census 19 years ago.
Fast-growing Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world, had not held a census since 1998 due to years of bickering between politicians.
What census meant for Pakistan
The count could redraw the political map as the country gears up for a national election next year — a prospect that has raised fears over power bases and federal funding.
At the time census was launched, it was stated that the people who will provide wrong information to the enumerators will face six-month jail term and Rs. 50,000 fine over the breach of the census rules.