Islamabad: Pakistan’s population has risen to nearly 208 million people with an average annual growth of 2.4 per cent, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics said on Friday, after the South Asian nation conducted its first census in 19 years.
The total population is made up of more than 106 million males, more than 101 million females and 10,418 transgender people, who have been counted in a census for the first time, the bureau said.
READ MORE:
Views: Will Pakistan’s population count meet the challenge?
“Provisional results show the total population of Pakistan as 207.774 million, with an average annual growth rate of 2.4 per cent over a period of 1998-2017,” the bureau said in a statement.
The population was just over 130 million in 1998, the last time a census was conducted.
Nearly 118,000 government officials escorted by tens of thousands of troops and police started the 70-day data-gathering drive in March on the orders of the Supreme Court.
Electoral seats in Pakistan’s parliament are assigned using population density data.
The census found a nearly 4 per cent increase in the urban population, with 36.38 per cent of the total population living in urban areas.
The southern province of Sindh is the most urbanised with 52.02 per cent of people there in cities.
The most prosperous province of Punjab, which is considered the political heartland and bread basket, maintains its status as the most populous province with more than half of all Pakistanis — 110 million people.
Meanwhile, the Council of Common Interest (CCI) Friday approved 1200 cusecs extra water supply to Karachi, formation of flood commission and policy regarding forest.
The meeting of CCI held here at Prime Minister House, which lasted for over three hour, was chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and attended by ministers and other officials.
An 11-points agenda was presented in the meeting while a report on initial results of the sixth housing and population census was presented to the Prime Minister. It was told in the report that provinces have not yet given indication of reservations.
PM has assured that federation would allay the concerns if provinces have any while Statistics department has also been assured to address their problems. Likewise the census form was divided into four parts, which include one column for women, another for men, eunuchs and Muslims and non-Muslims.
The CCI also decided to take detailed review of results of the census and said there could be difference of tentative and final results regarding counting of population.
The meeting expressing readiness to supply 1200 cusecs extra water to Karachi asked the newly formed ministry to finalise its strategy as soon as possible so that it could be approved. It also approved formation of flood commission and forest policy.
The CCI instructed all ministries to start its functions immediately. On the end of the meeting, Prime Minister individually held meetings with ministers and exchanged views regarding problems of the provinces and development projects.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi assured the ministers that federations would provide every kind of resources to provinces, which were needed.
