Pakistan becomes fifth most populous country

Pakistan has become the fifth most populous country in the world with a population of 241,490,000, according to the detailed results of the seventh and first digital census of Pakistan.

A report released by the Institute of Statistics reveals that Pakistan has the fastest population growth rate in the region, at 2.55 per cent annually. The country has also emerged as one of the top 30 countries globally with rapid population growth, surpassed in growth rate by only 27 other nations.

The report projects that if current trends persist, Pakistan’s population will double by 2050. It also highlights that 79 per cent of the population is under 40 years old, making Pakistan the country with the largest youth population in the world.

Pakistan currently stands at fifth place in global population rankings. Balochistan has the highest population growth rate at 3.2 percent, followed by Sindh at 2.57 percent and Punjab at 2.53 percent. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the lowest growth rate among provinces, with an annual increase of 2.38 percent.

According to the report, 51.48 percent of population is male and 48.51 percent is female. Rural areas house 61.12 percent of the population, with only 39 percent residing in urban centres.

In terms of urbanisation within provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the lowest urban population at 15 percent, while Sindh and Punjab have higher urbanisation rates of 54 percent and 52 percent respectively. About 31 percent of Balochistan’s population is currently living in cities.

The report also indicates that 96.35 percent of Pakistan’s population is Muslim, with minorities making up 8.7 percent. Hindus constitute 44 percent of the minority population, while Christians account for 37.63 percent.