Census in Pakistan

The Census in Pakistan (Urdu: مردم شماری پاکستان), is a 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.^[2] The 2017 Census in Pakistan marks the first census to take place in Pakistan since 1998. The most recent census was the 2023 Pakistani census.

Pakistan Census مردم شماری پاکستان
Location(s)	Plot No. 21, Mauve Area, G-9/1, Islamabad Pakistan 44080
Country	Pakistan
Inaugurated	1951; 73 years ago (1951)
Previous event	May 2023; 9 months ago (2023-05)
People	Asif Bajwa^[1] Chief Statistician/Chief Census Commissioner
Website	www.pbs.gov.pk

Overview

A national census is mandated by the Constitution of Pakistan to be held every ten years.^[3][4] 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.^[5] Since 1951, there have been only 6 nationwide censuses (1961, 1972, 1981, 1998 and 2017). Delays and postponements have often been due to politicization. Pakistan's last completed census took place in 2017. The next national census was scheduled to take place in 2001 and later 2008,^[6][7] and again in 2010, but none of those plans could materialize.^{[8][better source needed]} There were multiple census counts completed for the latest round in April 2012,^[9][10] but were subsequently thrown out as being "unreliable". A UN led census was to be conducted with staff training and GPS digitisation.^[11] As of 2015, the population of Pakistan is estimated at 191.71 million.^[12][13] As of 2016, the population of religious minorities in Pakistan have increased to 3 million.^[14] On 25 August 2017, the official results declared Pakistan's population to be 207.74 million.^[15]

 

Pakistan population density

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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.^[16][17] 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.^[16][17] 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%.^[18] Hindus in East Pakistan were 18.4%^[19]

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.^[20][21] In 1970, the population was 65 million in the East Pakistan(Bangladesh) and 58 million in West Pakistan.^[22]

According to the 1972 census, the population of Pakistan was 65.3 million.^[23][24] After 1972, the Census Organization was merged into the Ministry of Interior.^[25]

1981

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

1998

This section is an excerpt from 1998 Pakistani census.[edit]

 

The 1998 Census of Pakistan was the fifth Pakistani national census. It provided a detailed enumeration of the population of Pakistan at the time it was conducted under the authority of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, an agency of the Government of Pakistan.^[26] According to the 1998 census, the population of Pakistan proper (excluding disputed territories) stood at 130,857,717 people. With the inclusion of the population of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, the population stood at 134,714,017 people. Despite being mandated by the Constitution of Pakistan to be held every 10 years, this was the first census to take place in Pakistan after the 1981 census that took place 17 years earlier, and the next census would not be held for another 19 years, until 2017. The inconsistencies in Pakistan's national elections are due in part to political turmoil and instability within the country.

2017

This section is an excerpt from 2017 Pakistani census.[edit]

The 2017 Census of Pakistan was a detailed enumeration of the Pakistani population which began on 15 March 2017 and ended on 25 May 2017. It was the first census taken in the country in the 21st century, nineteen years after the previous one in 1998, and it was carried out by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

The census recorded a total population throughout the country of 213,222,917.^{[note 1]} The results showed a massive population increase having occurred between 1998 and 2017 of 77.0 million people, or an increase of +56.5%.^{[note 2]} The results also marked a significantly higher result compared to estimations made of the Pakistani population before the census, which had previously estimated the Pakistani population in 2017 to be between 195 million and 200 million.^[30][31]

Controversies regarding this census, focused around the populations of Pakistan's largest city, Karachi and the province of Sindh, resulted in another census being scheduled early in the year 2023. The results of that census will be used to delimitate constituencies for the 2023 Pakistani general election.

2023

This section is an excerpt from 2023 Pakistani census.[edit]

The 2023 Census of Pakistan was the detailed enumeration of the Pakistani population and the seventh national census in the country.^[32][33][34] It was conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.^[35] It was also the first ever digital census to be held in Pakistan, including the first in South Asian history.^[36]

The census was initially held from 1 March 2023 to 1 April 2023. However, enumeration was later extended several times until 30 May 2023, because of incomplete enumeration in large cities such as Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad, where people are more mobile and therefore harder to count, and in remote and rural Balochistan. The extension was also used by PBS officials and census takers for quality reviews, to check if all households and people were properly counted in each area.^[37][38][39] The 2023 census recorded a total population throughout the country of 241,492,917 (excluding Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir).^[40][41]

Notes

1. The population of the four provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory being 207,684,626,^[27] the population of Azad Jammu & Kashmir being 4,045,367,^[28] and the population of Gilgit-Baltistan being 1,492,924.^[29]
2. In 1998, the population of the four provinces and Islamabad Capital Territory being 132,352,279,^[27] the population of Azad Jammu & Kashmir being 2,972,501,^[28] and the population of Gilgit-Baltistan being 884,000.^[29] This is a total of 136,208,780.

References

1. . www.pbs.gov.pk. Chief Statistician, Govt. of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
2. "Population Census". www.pbs.gov.pk. Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
3. "Why the census is important for Pakistan". 18 August 2017.
4. [Article 9] in PART II of Fourth Schedule: Federal Legislative List of Constitution of Pakistan.
5. "Population count: NADRA records cannot substitute for census, says Ravi Pinjani". 11 September 2016.
6. "Plan to hold census in 2008: Cabinet okays F-16 purchase". dawn.com. 13 April 2006.
7. "The census that may reveal too much?".
8. . Pakistan Times. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
9. uzairakhan. "Pakistan's population up by 46.9 per cent since 1998". dawn.com.
10. . The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013.
11. "The Government of Pakistan, Statistics Division in collaboration with UN-Habitat and UNFPA reaffirm their support for the forthcoming Census". ReliefWeb.
12. "Population, Labour Force and Employment PAKISTAN ECONOMIC SURVEY 2014–15" (PDF).
13. "PAKISTAN ECONOMIC SURVEY 2014–15 -GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN MINISTRY OF FINANCE".
14. Minorities' vote bank reaches close to 3m
15. . www.pbs.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
16. "Migration from East Pakistan(1951–1961)" (PDF).
17. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
18. "East Wing beats West Wing in literacy rate".
19. D'Costa, Bina (2011), Nationbuilding, Gender and War Crimes in South Asia, Routledge, pp. 100–, ISBN 978-0-415-56566-0
20. "Why a census counts".
21. "Population survey: PM gives green light for sixth census".
22. "When East overtakes West".
23. "2.1 Population of Pakistan" (PDF).
24. "Census & labour data".
25. "Population Census Pakistan".
26. . Archived from the original on 10 September 2013.
27. "TABLE – 1 AREA, POPULATION BY SEX, SEX RATIO, POPULATION DENSITY, URBAN PROPORTION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE" (PDF). National.pdf. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 19 May 2021. (PDF) from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
28. "Statistical Yearook 2020" (PDF). Statistical Yearbook 2020.pdf. AJ&K Bureau of Statistics Planning & Development Department. 5 January 2021. (PDF) from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
29. "GILGIT-BALTISTAN at a GLANCE 2020" (PDF). Gilgit Baltistan at a Glance New Design.cdr. Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Planning & Development Department Statistical & Research Cell (SRC). 20 January 2021. (PDF) from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
30. "Gross Domestic Product of Pakistan (at current basic prices)" (PDF). Table_4.pdf. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 20 August 2021. (PDF) from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
31. "Download Files". World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations. United Nations. from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
32. "7th Population and Housing Census 2022: PBS hosts first sensitisation workshop". 7th Population and Housing Census 2022: PBS hosts first sensitisation workshop. The News International Pakistan. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
33. "Umar rules out military role in 7th digital census". Umar rules out military role in 7th digital census. The Express Tribune. 23 March 2022. from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
34. "Pakistan's first-ever digitised population census to be completed in August 2022". Pakistan's first-ever digitised population census to be completed in August 2022. Geo News. 23 February 2022. from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
35. "Pakistan's 7th Population Census Postponed for Lack of Technical Equipment". Propakistani. ProPakistani.PK. 12 August 2022. from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
36. Toheed, Muhammed (1 May 2023). "Counting error: Why Pakistan's first-ever digital census may be an exercise in futility". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
37. "Digital census date extended to April 10". The Express Tribune. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
38. "Census date extended to ensure complete coverage of population". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
39. "Census date extended to ensure complete coverage of population". Daily Times. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
40. Khan, Sanaullah (5 August 2023). "2023 census results 'unanimously' approved at CCI meeting". DAWN.
41. "Population surpasses 240m, new census shows".

External links

•   Media related to Censuses in Pakistan at Wikimedia Commons