Pakistan
Pakistan⌘K
Overview
- Background
- The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of modern-day Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The partition in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India created lasting tension between the two countries. They have fought two wars and a limited conflict -- in 1947-48, 1965, and 1999 respectively -- over the Kashmir territory, a dispute that continues to this day. A third war in 1971 -- in which India assisted an indigenous movement reacting to Bengali marginalization in Pakistani politics -- resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh.
In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. Pakistan has been engaged in a decades-long armed conflict with militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant networks that target government institutions and civilians.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 770,875 sq km
- Water
- 25,220 sq km
- Total
- 796,095 sq km
- Climate
- mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
- Terrain
- divided into three major geographic areas: the northern highlands, the Indus River plain in the center and east, and the Balochistan Plateau in the south and west
Land Use
- Other
- 49.2% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 4.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 46.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 39.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 6.5% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
- Coastline
- 1,046 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Arabian Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m
- Mean elevation
- 900 m
- Irrigated land
- 194,200 sq km (2022)
- Major aquifers
- Indus Basin
- Map references
- Asia
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 7,257 km
- Border countries
- Afghanistan 2,670 km; China 438 km; India 3,190 km; Iran 959 km
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)
- Geography note
- controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and India
- Natural resources
- arable land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
- Area comparative
- slightly more than five times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of California
- Geographic coordinates
- 30 00 N, 70 00 E
- Population distribution
- the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Indian ocean drainage
- Indus (1,081,718 sq km)
- Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
- Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km), (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km)
- Major rivers (BY length in km)
- Indus river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 3,610 km; Sutlej river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 1,372 km; Chenab river mouth (shared with India [s]) - 1,086 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 69.1% (2021 est.)
- Female
- 48.5% (2021 est.)
- Total population
- 58.9% (2021 est.)
Languages
- Note
- note: data represent population by mother tongue; English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries)
- Languages
- Punjabi 38.8%, Pashto (alternate name, Pashtu) 18.2%, Sindhi 14.6%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 12.2%, Urdu 7.1%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2.4%, Brahui 1.2%, other 2.4%
- Major language sample(s)
دنیا کا قاموس، ایک لازمی زریہ بنیادی معلومات کا (Urdu)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- Religions
- Muslim 96.4%, Hindu 1.6%, Christian 1.4%; less than 1%: scheduled castes, Qadiani/Ahmadi, other, Sikh. (2020 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.87 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 25.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 5.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 22.8 years
- Total
- 23.2 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 23 years
Population
- Male
- 130,727,015
- Total
- 257,047,044 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 126,320,029
Nationality
- Noun
- Pakistani(s)
- Adjective
- Pakistani
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 25.7% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 15.5% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 5.4% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 38% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 2.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 34.4% (male 44,330,669/female 42,529,007)
- 15 64 years
- 60.7% (male 78,321,834/female 74,833,003)
- 65 years and over
- 4.9% (2024 est.) (male 5,735,294/female 6,613,764)
- Ethnic groups
- Punjabi 44.7%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.4%, Sindhi 14.1%, Saraiki 8.4%, Muhajirs 7.6%, Baloch 3.6%, other 6.3%
Child Marriage
- Men married BY age 18
- 4.7% (2018)
- Women married BY age 15
- 3.6% (2018)
- Women married BY age 18
- 18.3% (2018)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 64 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 55.8 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 12.1 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 8.2 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 2.9% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 5.6% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 0.5 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 3.25 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 89.3% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 90.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 92.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 10.7% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 9.4% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 7.1% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 9.8% national budget (2023 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 56 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 50.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 46.8 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 1.82% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 1.59 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 68.2 years
- Female
- 72.5 years
- Total population
- 70.3 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 155 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 76.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 81.5% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 90.5% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 23.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 18.5% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 9.5% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 17.236 million Karachi, 13.979 million Lahore, 3.711 million Faisalabad, 2.415 million Gujranwala, 2.412 million Peshawar, 1.232 million ISLAMABAD (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 8.6% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 22.8 years (2017/18 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 63.4% (2018 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 23.1% (2018 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 8 years (2022 est.)
- Total
- 8 years (2022 est.)
- Female
- 7 years (2022 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: green with a vertical white band on the left side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field
meaning: the crescent, star, and color green are all traditional Islamic symbols; the white band symbolizes the role of religious minorities
Capital
- Name
- Islamabad
- Etymology
- the name means "city of Islam" and derives from the Arabic islam, referring to the Islamic faith, and the Persian suffix -abad, meaning "inhabited place" or "city"
- Time difference
- UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 33 41 N, 73 03 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- yes
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Pakistan
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes, but limited to select countries
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 4 out of the previous 7 years and including the 12 months preceding application
Constitution
- History
- several previous; latest endorsed 12 April 1973, passed 19 April 1973, entered into force 14 August 1973 (suspended and restored several times)
- Amendment process
- proposed by the Senate or by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses
Country Name
- Former
- West Pakistan
- Etymology
- the name is said to have been proposed in the early 1930s by Muslim students at Cambridge University, created from the initials of Punjab, Afghanistan, and Kashmir; the word pak also means "pure" in Persian or Pashto, and the Persian suffix -stan means "place of" or "country," so Pakistan literally means "Land of the Pure"
- Local long form
- Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan
- Local short form
- Pakistan
- Conventional long form
- Islamic Republic of Pakistan
- Conventional short form
- Pakistan
- Independence
- 14 August 1947 (from British India)
- Legal system
- common law system with Islamic law influence
- Government type
- federal parliamentary republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court of Pakistan (consists of the chief justice and 16 judges)
- Subordinate courts
- High Courts; Federal Shariat Court; provincial and district civil and criminal courts; specialized courts for issues, such as taxation, banking, and customs
- Judge selection and term of office
- justices nominated by an 8-member parliamentary committee on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission, a 9-member body of judges and other judicial professionals, and appointed by the president; justices can serve until age 65
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
- Chief of state
- President Asif Ali ZARDARI (since 10 March 2024)
- Election results
2024: Asif Ali ZARDARI elected president; National Assembly vote - Asif Ali ZARDARI (PPP) 411 votes, Mehmood Khan ACHAKZALI (PMAP) 181 votes; Shehbaz SHARIF elected prime minister; National Assembly vote - Shehbaz SHARIF (PML-N) 201, Omar AYUB (PTI) 92- Head of government
- Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz SHARIF (since 3 March 2024)
- Most recent election date
- 9 March 2024
- Election/appointment process
- president indirectly elected for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms) by the Electoral College, which consists of members of the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies; prime minister elected for a 5-year term by the National Assembly
- Expected date of next election
- 2029
- National holiday
- Pakistan Day, 23 March, also referred to as Pakistan Resolution Day (1940) or Republic Day (1956)
- National color(s)
- green, white
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 6 (all cultural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro; Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi; Taxila; Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore; Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta; Rohtas Fort
- Political parties
- Awami National Party or ANP
Awami Muslim League or AML
Balochistan Awami Party or BAP
Balochistan National Party-Awami or BNP-A
Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M
Grand Democratic Alliance or GDA (alliance of several parties)
Hazara Democratic Party or HDP
Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party
Jamaat-e-Islami or JI
Jamhoori Wattan Party or JWP
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl or JUI-F
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan or MWM
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal or MMA (alliance of several parties)
Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan or MQM-P
National Party or NP
Pakistan Muslim League or PML-Z
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam or PML-Q
Pakistan Peoples Party or PPP
Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party or PRHP
Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI (Pakistan Movement for Justice)
Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party or PMAP or PKMAP
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan or TLP
Legislative Branch
- Note
- Legislature name
- Parliament (Majlis-E-Shoora)
- Legislative structure
- bicameral
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Qaumi Tarana" (National Anthem)
- History
- adopted 1954; also known as "Pak sarzamin shad bad" (Blessed Be the Sacred Land)
- Lyrics/music
- Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA
- National symbol(s)
- five-pointed star between the horns of a waxing crescent moon, jasmine
- Administrative divisions
- 4 provinces, 2 Pakistan-administered areas*, and 1 capital territory**; Azad Kashmir*, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh
Legislative Branch Lower Chamber
- Chamber name
- National Assembly
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 336 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 2/8/2024
- Expected date of next election
- February 2029
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 17%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) (75); Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) (54); Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan (MQMP) (17); Independents (101); Other (16)
Legislative Branch Upper Chamber
- Chamber name
- Senate
- Term in office
- 6 years
- Number of seats
- 96 (all indirectly elected)
- Scope of elections
- partial renewal
- Most recent election date
- 4/2/2024
- Expected date of next election
- March 2027
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 18.8%
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 686-1534
- Chancery
- 3517 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 243-6500
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Rizwan Saeed SHEIKH (since 18 September 2024)
- Consulate(s) general
- Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York
- Email address and website
consularsection@embassyofpakistanusa.org
https://embassyofpakistanusa.org/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [92] 51-2338071
- Embassy
- Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
- Telephone
- [92] 051-201-4000
- Mailing address
- 8100 Islamabad Place, Washington, DC 20521-8100
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. BAKER (since January 2025)
- Consulate(s) general
- Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar
- Email address and website
ACSIslamabad@state.gov
https://pk.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ADB, AIIB, ARF, ASEAN (sectoral dialogue partner), C, CERN (associate member), CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-11, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNSOS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
Legislature
PAKISTAN · LOWER HOUSE
National Assembly
336 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
336
Majority line
169
Largest party
Independents
Parties
13
All political parties
Upper house
PAKISTAN · UPPER HOUSE
Senate
96 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
96
Majority line
49
Largest party
PPP
Parties
5
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Asif Ali Zardari
- Head of State
Shehbaz Sharif
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $40.774 billion (2015 est.)
- Expenditures
- $49.558 billion (2015 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $38.6B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $38.967 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $36.215 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $40.219 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $63.9B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $76.594 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $58.069 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $66.844 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp
- Labor force
- 83.644 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 67.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 67.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 8% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 7.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 9.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 161.838 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 162.906 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 204.867 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 280.356 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 278.581 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $89.148 billion (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- lower middle-income South Asian economy; extremely high debt; endemic corruption; regional disputes with India and Afghanistan hinder investment; falling inflation, IMF relief programs, and strong agricultural output slowly contributing to economic recovery
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 5.4%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 5.5% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 5.5% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 5.5% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- USA 14%, UAE 10%, China 9%, Germany 7%, UK 6% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 25%, Qatar 11%, UAE 9%, Saudi Arabia 8%, Indonesia 6% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $6,252
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $5,500 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $5,400 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $5,500 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.0%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 4.8% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 0% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 3.2% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- sugarcane, bison milk, wheat, milk, rice, maize, potatoes, cotton, mangoes/guavas, chicken (2023)
- Exports commodities
- garments, fabric, refined petroleum, rice, cotton fabric (2023)
- Imports commodities
- natural gas, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, palm oil, plastics (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.9B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$12.216 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$1.039 billion (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- $699.22 million (2024 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $373.072 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 85.2% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 8.5% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 1.7% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 11.2% (2024 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 10.4% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -17.1% (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 21.9% (2018 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 37.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 1.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 12.6%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 19.9% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 30.8% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 12.6% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- -1.7% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.39 trillion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $1.347 trillion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $1.346 trillion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $1.39 trillion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 9.8% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 9.9% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 10.1% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $9.927 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $13.73 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $18.408 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 20% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 50.5% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 23.5% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 4.2% (2018 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 25.5% (2018 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2018
- 29.6 (2018 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 900 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 16.185 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 13.765 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 30.191 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 2.857 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 91,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 540 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 645,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Imports
- 481.25 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 145.357 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 43.512 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 25.811 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Imports
- 8.847 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 27.476 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 36.323 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 592.219 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Nuclear Energy
- Number of operational nuclear reactors
- 6 (2025)
- Percent of total electricity production
- 17.4% (2023 est.)
- Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors
- 3.26GW (2025 est.)
- Number of nuclear reactors under construction
- 1 (2025)
- Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down
- 1 (2025)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 93%
- Electrification urban areas
- 100%
- Electrification total population
- 95% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 14.076 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 3.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Nuclear
- 14.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 60.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 27% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- 120 satellite TV stations; 42 media companies/channels; state-run Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) is the largest TV network, serves over 85 percent of the population with 9 TV channels; over 100 private cable and satellite channels; state-owned Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC or Radio Pakistan) has the largest radio audience, particularly in rural areas, with AM/SW/FM stations covering most of the country (2022)
- Internet country code
- .pk
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 2.573 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 1 (2023 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 193 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 77 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 3.36 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 1 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 1
- Medium
- 2
- Key ports
- Gwadar, Karachi, Muhamamad Bin Qasim
- Very small
- 0
- Total ports
- 3 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 2
- Airports
- 117 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 11,881 km (2021)
- Broad gauge
- 11,492 km (2021) 1.676-m gauge (286 km electrified)
- Narrow gauge
- 389 km (2021) 1.000-m gauge
- Heliports
- 48 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 60 (2023)
- BY type
- bulk carrier 5, oil tanker 9, other 46
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- AP
Environment
- Climate
- mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Land Use
- Other
- 49.2% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 4.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 46.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 39.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 6.5% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 38% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 2.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 128.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 700.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 1,625.2 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 5,381.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 30.76 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 13.8% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural freshwater resources; most of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution and noise pollution in urban areas
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 9.65 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 1.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 172.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 212.655 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 59.006 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 59.937 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 93.713 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 50.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 246.8 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified
- Marine Life Conservation
Military & Security
- Military note
- the Pakistan military is responsible for external defense but also has a domestic security role; its chief external focus is India; the military is the lead security agency in many areas of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and has for decades conducted operations against various internal militant groups; it is also one of the longest serving and largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions; China is its closest security partner
the military operates largely independently and without effective civilian oversight; it has ruled the country for more than 30 years since independence in 1947 and continues to play a significant role in Pakistan's political arena; it also has a large stake in the country’s economic sector and is involved in a diverse array of commercial activities, including banking, construction of public projects, employment services, energy and power generation, fertilizer, food, housing, real estate, and security services
Pakistan has fought four wars and several skirmishes with India; three of the wars have been over the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, the status of which has been unsettled since the UK's 1947 withdrawal and the partition and independence of India and Pakistan; a fragile cease-fire was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the militarized Line of Control which serves as the border remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in the territory New Delhi controls; in the Spring of 2025, Indian held Pakistan responsible for a terrorist attack in India-controlled Kashmir and retaliated, sparking a brief cross-border conflict involving aircraft, artillery, drone, and missile strikes
the Kashmir dispute also includes the Siachen Glacier, located in the Karakoram Mountain Range, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area several times between 1985 and 1995; despite the 2003 cease-fire, both sides continue to maintain a permanent military presence there with outposts at altitudes above 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) where most casualties are due to extreme weather and the hazards of operating in the high mountain terrain of the world’s highest conflict, including avalanches, exposure, and altitude sickness (2025) - Military deployments
- 1,400 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 300 MONUSCO; 300 South Sudan (UNMISS); 575 Sudan (UNISFA) (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.7%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 4% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 4% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 4% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 2.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Pakistan Armed Forces: Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes Pakistan Marines, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force
Ministry of Interior: Frontier Constabulary, Frontier Corps, National Police, Pakistan Coast Guard, Punjab (Pakistan) Rangers, Sindh (Pakistan) Rangers (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 16-28 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; lower and upper age limits vary by military branch, position, and role; personnel cannot be deployed for combat until age 18 (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the military's inventory is a mix of mostly imported and some domestically produced armaments; the majority of its imported weapons are from China; other suppliers include France, Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine, the UK, and the US; Pakistan also has a domestic defense industry, which produces or co-produces such items as armored vehicles, aircraft, missiles, naval vessels (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 650,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- al-Qa’ida; al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS); Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA); Haqqani Network (HQN); Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI); Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Hizbul Mujahideen; Indian Mujahedeen; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – India (ISI); Islamic State of ash-Sham – Pakistan (ISP); Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU); Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM); Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Lashkar i Jhangvi (LJ); Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT); The Resistance Front (TRF); Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
Space
- Space launch site(s)
- none; missile test sites at Somiani (Balochistan) and Tilla Jogian (Punjab) (2025)
- Space agency/agencies
- Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO; established 1961) (2025)
- Space program overview
- space program dates back to the early 1960s, but funding shortfalls and shifts in priority toward ballistic missile development in the 1980s and 1990s hampered the program’s development; now has a strengthened focus on acquiring satellites and reaching agreements with other space powers for additional capabilities; manufactures and operates satellites; researching and developing other space-related capabilities and technologies, such as satellite payloads; also conducts research in areas such as astronomy, astrophysics, environmental monitoring, and space sciences; works with China, Russia, and Turkey (cooperated with the UK and US prior to the 1990s) (2025)
- Key space program milestones
- 1962-1972 - launched about 200 sounding rockets with some US assistance
1990 - first domestically built experimental satellite (Badr-1) launched by China
2001 - first remote sensing (RS) satellite (Badr-2) built jointly with the UK and launched by Russia
2011 - first digital communications satellite (PakSat-1R) launched by China
2017 - successfully test-launched ballistic missile system (Shaheed-III)
2023 - joined China’s International Lunar Research Station program
2024 - first lunar orbiter/satellite (iCube Qamar) launched by China and deployed from China's Chang'e-6 spacecraft
2025 - first fully domestic RS satellite (PRSC-EO1) launched by China; selected country's first astronauts to be trained by China for mission to China's space station
Transnational Issues
Illicit Drugs
- Usg identification
major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country
major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 224,813 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 1,759,332 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 60 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index27.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4140 / 190−12.02024-Q4
Civica Pulse−1.0as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.20as of 2024-Q4112 / 170−0.022024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (33/100)as of 2024-Q4—−5.52024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (53/100)as of 2024—2024
Human Development Index0.544as of 2022—2022
Corruption Perceptions Index29 / 100as of 2023133 / 1802023
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Pakistan — vintage 2026-Q1: Pakistan factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/pakistan
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata