2023 Edition

Background

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently 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 separation 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, and India and Pakistan fought two wars and a limited conflict - in 1947-48, 1965, and 1999 respectively - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India assisted an indigenous movement reacting to the marginalization of Bengalis 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 mid-1998. Major bilateral disputes, including the status of Kashmir, remain unresolved, but in early 2021 the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to maintain the cease-fire along the Line of Control in Kashmir that began in 2003. 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.

Area

land

770,875 sq km

total

796,095 sq km

water

25,220 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than five times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of California

Climate

mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

Coastline

1,046 km

Elevation

highest point

K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

lowest point

Arabian Sea 0 m

mean elevation

900 m

Geographic coordinates

30 00 N, 70 00 E

Geography - note

controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

Irrigated land

193,400 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

Afghanistan 2,670 km; China 438 km; India 3,190 km; Iran 959 km

total

7,257 km

Land use

agricultural land

35.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 27.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 6.5% (2018 est.)

forest

2.1% (2018 est.)

other

62.7% (2018 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

Major aquifers

Indus Basin

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 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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)

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

Natural resources

arable land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

Population distribution

the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated

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

Age structure

0-14 years

34.81% (male 44,002,871/female 42,216,200)

15-64 years

60.41% (male 76,548,821/female 73,065,518)

65 years and over

4.77% (2023 est.) (male 5,482,633/female 6,337,508)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

26 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

4.7% (2018 est.)

women married by age 15

3.6%

women married by age 18

18.3%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

23.1% (2017/18)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

34% (2018/19)

Current health expenditure

2.8% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

63.5% (2023 est.)

Death rate

5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

7.2

potential support ratio

13.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

70

youth dependency ratio

62.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 92.5% of population

improved: total

total: 94% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 7.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 6% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.5% of population

Education expenditures

2.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Punjabi 44.7%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.4%, Sindhi 14.1%, Saraiki 8.4%, Muhajirs 7.6%, Balochi 3.6%, other 6.3%

Gross reproduction rate

1.66 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

48.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male

57.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

52.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

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.

note

note: data represent population by mother tongue; English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries)

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.1 years

male

67.9 years

total population

70 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

46.5% (2019)

male

69.3%

total population

58%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

note

note: Pakistan is one of two countries with endemic wild polio virus (the other is Afghanistan) and considered high risk for international spread of the disease; before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, malaria, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

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)

Maternal mortality ratio

154 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

22.8 years

male

22.6 years

total

22.7 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

22.8 years (2017/18 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Pakistani

noun

Pakistani(s)

Net migration rate

-1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.6% (2016)

Physicians density

1.12 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

247,653,551 (2023 est.)

note

note: results of Pakistan's 2017 national census estimate the country's total population to be 207,684,626

Population distribution

the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated

Population growth rate

1.91% (2023 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official) 96.5% (Sunni 85-90%, Shia 10-15%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3.5% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 73.2% of population

improved: total

total: 78.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 88.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 26.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 21.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 11.4% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

8 years (2019)

male

9 years

total

9 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.87 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.04 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

7.3% (2020 est.)

male

33% (2020 est.)

total

20.2% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.39 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

38% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

4 provinces, 2 Pakistan-administered areas*, and 1 capital territory**; Azad Kashmir*, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh

Capital

etymology

derived from two words: Islam, an Urdu word referring to the religion of Islam, and -abad, a Persian suffix indicating an "inhabited place" or "city," to render the meaning "City of Islam"

geographic coordinates

33 41 N, 73 03 E

name

Islamabad

time difference

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

amendments

proposed by the Senate or by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses; amended many times, last in 2018

history

several previous; latest endorsed 12 April 1973, passed 19 April 1973, entered into force 14 August 1973 (suspended and restored several times)

Country name

conventional long form

Islamic Republic of Pakistan

conventional short form

Pakistan

etymology

the word "pak" means "pure" in Persian or Pashto, while the Persian suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country," so the word Pakistan literally means "Land of the Pure"

former

West Pakistan

local long form

Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan

local short form

Pakistan

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Donald BLOME (since 2 July 2022)

consulate(s) general

Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar

email address and website

ACSIslamabad@state.govhttps://pk.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad

FAX

[92] 51-2338071

mailing address

8100 Islamabad Place, Washington, DC 20521-8100

telephone

[92] 051-201-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3517 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Sardar Masood KHAN (since 19 April 2022)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

consularsection@embassyofpakistanusa.orghttps://embassyofpakistanusa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 686-1534

telephone

[1] (202) 243-6500

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president upon the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

President Arif ALVI (since 9 September 2018)

election results

2018: Arif ALVI elected president; Electoral College vote - Arif ALVI (PTI) 352, Fazl-ur-REHMAN (MMA) 184, Aitzaz AHSAN (PPP) 124; Imran KHAN elected prime minister; National Assembly vote - Imran KHAN (PTI) 176, Shehbaz SHARIF (PML-N) 962013: Mamnoon HUSSAIN elected president; National Assembly vote - Mamnoon HUSSAIN (PML-N) 432, Wajihuddin AHMED (PTI) 77

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the Electoral College consisting of members of the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms); election last held on 4 September 2018 (next expected to be held in early 2024); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on 11 April 2022

head of government

Interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq KAKAR (since 14 August 2023); caretaker cabinet (since 17 August 2023)

Flag description

green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

Government type

federal parliamentary republic

Independence

14 August 1947 (from British India)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

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, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNSOS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Pakistan (consists of the chief justice and 16 judges)

judge selection and term of office

justices nominated by an 8-member parliamentary committee upon 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

subordinate courts

High Courts; Federal Shariat Court; provincial and district civil and criminal courts; specialized courts for issues, such as taxation, banking, and customs

Legal system

common law system with Islamic law influence

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of:Senate (100 seats; members indirectly elected by the 4 provincial assemblies and the federal capital territory indirectly elected by the National Assembly using proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years)National Assembly (342 seats; 272 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 70 members - 60 women and 10 non-Muslims - directly elected by proportional representation vote; all members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PTI 25, PPP 21, PML-N 18, BAP 13, JUI-F 5, other 13, independent 5; composition - men 81, women 19, percent of women 19%National Assembly - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by party - PTI 156, PML-N 83, PPP 55, MMA 16, MQM-P 7, BAP 5, PML-Q 5, BNP-M 4, GDA 3, AML 1, ANP 1, JWP 1, independent 4; composition - men 272, women 70, percent of women 20.2%; note - total Parliament percent of women 20.1%

elections

Senate - last held on 3 March 2021 (next to be held on 3 March 2024)National Assembly - last held on 25 July 2018 (next rescheduled from October 2023 to 31 January 2024 to 4 February 2024 due to the redrawing of many electoral district boundaries)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA

name

"Qaumi Tarana" (National Anthem)

note

note: adopted 1954; also known as "Pak sarzamin shad bad" (Blessed Be the Sacred Land)

National heritage

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

total World Heritage Sites

6 (all cultural)

National holiday

Pakistan Day (also referred to as Pakistan Resolution Day or Republic Day), 23 March (1940); note - commemorates both the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the All-India Muslim League during its 22-24 March 1940 session, which called for the creation of independent Muslim states, and the adoption of the first constitution of Pakistan on 23 March 1956 during the transition to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

National symbol(s)

five-pointed star between the horns of a waxing crescent moon, jasmine; national colors: green, white

Political parties and leaders

Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN]Awami Muslim League or AML [Sheikh Rashid AHMED]Balochistan Awami Party or BAP [Abdul Quddus BIZENJO]Balochistan National Party-Awami or BNP-A [Mir Israrullah ZEHRI]Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M [Sardar Akhtar Jan MENGAL]Grand Democratic Alliance or GDA [Pir PAGARO] (alliance of several parties)Hazara Democratic Party or HDP [Abdul Khaliq HAZARA]Jamaat-e-Islami or JI [Siraj-ul-HAQ]Jamhoori Wattan Party or JWP [Nawabzada Shahzain BUGTI]Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl or JUI-F [Maulana Fazal-ur-REHMAN]Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal or MMA [Maulana Fazal-ur-REHMAN] (alliance of several parties)Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan or MQM-P [Khalid Maqbool SIDDIQUI]National Party or NP [Abdul Malik BALOCH]Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party or PMAP or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N [Shehbaz SHARIF]Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam or PML-Q [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F [Pir PAGARO]Pakistan Peoples Party or PPP [Bilawal BHUTTO ZARDARI, Asif Ali ZARDARI]Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party or PRHP [Muhammad Ibrahim QASMI]Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI (Pakistan Movement for Justice) [Imran KHAN]Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan or TLP [Hafiz Muhammad Saad Hussain Rizvi MARKAZI]

note

note: Pakistan has several hundred officially registered political parties; this list includes those that won seats in the most recent elections at the national and provincial levels

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; note - there are joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims

Agricultural products

sugar cane, buffalo milk, wheat, milk, rice, maize, potatoes, cotton, fruit, mangoes/guavas

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

39.5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$59.621 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: data are for fiscal years

revenues

$38.966 billion (2020 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B- (2018)

Moody's rating

B3 (2015)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$8.558 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$650.874 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$12.262 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$95.671 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$107.527 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

lower middle-income South Asian economy; extremely high debt; endemic corruption; major currency devaluation; major food insecurity and inflation; environmentally fragile agricultural sector; regional disputes with India and Afghanistan hinder investment

Exchange rates

Currency

Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

105.455 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

121.824 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

150.036 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

161.838 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

162.906 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$30.67 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$27.333 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$35.566 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

textiles, clothing and apparel, rice, leather goods, surgical instruments (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 14%, China 8%, Germany 7%, United Kingdom 6% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

8.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption

11.3% (2017 est.)

household consumption

82% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-17.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

14.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.6% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

24.4% (2016 est.)

industry

19.1% (2016 est.)

services

56.5% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$253.183 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

29.6 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.1% (FY2013)

lowest 10%

4%

Imports

Imports 2019

$57.976 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$52.098 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$76.392 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, natural gas, palm oil, scrap iron (2019)

Imports - partners

China 28%, United Arab Emirates 11%, United States 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

7.81% (2021 est.)

Industries

textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

10.58% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

9.74% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

9.5% (2021 est.)

Labor force

73.133 million (2021 est.)

note

note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor

Population below poverty line

24.3% (2015 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

67.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

67% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollarsdata are for fiscal years

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$1.152 trillion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$1.137 trillion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$1.211 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: data are for fiscal years

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.5% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-1.27% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

6.49% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$5,200 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$5,000 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$5,200 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$16.586 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$18.522 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$22.812 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

15.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: Pakistan has substantial underemployment

Unemployment rate 2019

3.54% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

4.3% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

4.35% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

8.2%

male

9.7%

total

9.4% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

47.468 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

78.611 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

67.789 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

193.869 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

21.012 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

17.239 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

4.855 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

3.064 billion metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

103,493,520,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

487 million kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

39.925 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

17.389 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

91.9% (2021)

electrification - total population

94.9% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

99.9% (2021)

population without electricity

46 million (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

55.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

31.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

8.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

2.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

15.859 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

48,391,627,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

10,743,167,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

38,056,250,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

592.218 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

3.26GW (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

6 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

10.6% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced

8.7% (2021)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

7,800 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

198,400 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

540 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

493,400 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

100,700 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

25,510 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

264,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

291,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total

2,523,027 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

television is the most popular and dominant source of news in Pakistan with over 120 satellite tv stations licensed by the country’s electronic media regulatory body, PEMRA ,and 42 media companies/channels with landing rights permission; state-run Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) is the largest television network in the country and serves over 85 percent of the population with the largest terrestrial infrastructure of the country; PTV consists of nine TV Channels and PTV networks give special coverage to Kashmir; Pakistanis have access to over 100 private cable and satellite channels; six channels are considered the leaders for news reporting and current affairs programing in the country; state-owned Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC or Radio Pakistan) has the largest radio audience in the country, particularly in the rural areas; Radio Pakistan’s AM/SW/FM stations cover 98 percent of the population and 80 percent of the total area in the country; all major newspapers have online editions and all major print publications operate websites; freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the country are fragile (2022)

Internet country code

.pk

Internet users

percent of population

21% (2021 est.)

total

48.3 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

mobile-cellular subscribership has increased; more than 90% of Pakistanis live within areas that have cell phone coverage; fiber-optic networks are being constructed throughout the country to increase broadband access and broadband penetration in Pakistan is increasing--by the end of 2021, 50% of the population had access to broadband services; fixed-line teledensity is a little over 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular roughly 82 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Pakistan’s telecom market transitioned from a regulated state-owned monopoly to a deregulated competitive structure in 2003, now aided by foreign investment; moderate growth over the last six years, supported by a young population and a rising use of mobile services; telecom infrastructure is improving, with investments in mobile-cellular networks, fixed-line subscriptions declining; system consists of microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks; 4G mobile services broadly available; 5G tests ongoing; data centers in major cities; mobile and broadband doing well and dominate over fixed-broadband sector; future growth (in market size as well as revenue) is likely to come from the wider availability of value-added services on top of the expansion of 4G LTE and (from 2023) 5G mobile networks; the Universal Service Fund (USF) continues to direct investment towards the development of mobile broadband (and, to a lesser extent, fiber-based networks) in under-served and even under served areas of the country, with multiple projects being approved to start in 2021 and 2022 (2021)

international

country code - 92; landing points for the SEA-ME-WE-3, -4, -5, AAE-1, IMEWE, Orient Express, PEACE Cable, and TW1 submarine cable systems that provide links to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

2,989,133 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

82 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

188,711,452 (2021 est.)

Airports

151 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

5

joint use (civil-military) airports

5

military airports

12

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

other airports

86

total

108

Airports - with unpaved runways

43

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

AP

Heliports

23 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 5, oil tanker 7, other 46

total

58 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

217.53 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

6,880,637 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

52

number of registered air carriers

5 (2020)

Pipelines

13,452 km gas transmission and 177,029 km gas distribution, 3,663 km oil, 1,150 km refined products  (2022)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Karachi (2,097,855) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Port Qasim

major seaport(s)

Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim

Railways

broad gauge

11,492 km (2021) 1.676-m gauge (286 km electrified)

narrow gauge

389 km (2021) 1.000-m gauge

total

11,881 km (2021)

Roadways

paved

185,463 km (2021) (includes 708 km of expressways)

total

264,175 km (2021)

unpaved

78,712 km (2021)

Military - note

the Pakistan 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 servicesthe military is responsible for external defense but also has a large role in domestic security; its chief external focus is on the perceived threat from India; the military is the lead security agency in many areas of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA); it has considerable operational experience, having engaged in several conflicts with India and conducted counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations for decades against various militant groups in the former FATA; it is also one of the longest serving and largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions; China is its closest security partnerthe Army is the largest component; it has more than 20 combat divisions, plus about 20 independent combat brigades; the Army also has an inventory of over 5,000 artillery systems organized into divisions and brigades, plus several squadrons of attack helicopters; the Navy operates throughout the Indian Ocean and conducts a variety of missions, including countering piracy, narcotics, and smuggling, protecting Pakistan’s sea lines of communications, multinational security and humanitarian operations, and naval diplomacy; the Navy is in the midst of a large modernization effort; its principal combat ships are a mix of about 15 frigates and corvettes, plus 5 attack submarines; there is also a small marine amphibious force; the Air Force’s combat missions include the air defense of Pakistan and support to the Army and Navy; it has over 400 Chinese-, French-, and US-made combat aircraft Pakistan and India have fought several conflicts since 1947, including the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistan and Bangladesh War of Independence of 1971, as well as two clashes over the disputed region of Kashmir (First Kashmir War of 1947 and the Kargil Conflict of 1999); a fragile cease-fire in Kashmir was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the Line of Control remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir; in addition, India and Pakistan have battled over the Siachen Glacier of Kashmir, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area in 1985, 1987, and 1995; despite a cease-fire, as of 2022 both sides continued to maintain a permanent military presence there with outposts at altitudes above 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) where most casualties were due to extreme weather or the hazards of operating in the high mountain terrain of the world’s highest conflict, including avalanches, exposure, and altitude sicknessPakistan has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation (2023)

Military and security forces

Pakistan Armed Forces: Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes marines, Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fizaia)Ministry of Interior: Frontier Corps, Pakistan Rangers (2023)

note

note 1: the National Guard is a paramilitary force and one of the Army's reserve forces, along with the Pakistan Army Reserve, the Frontier Corps, and the Pakistan Rangersnote 2: the Frontier Corps is a paramilitary force manned mostly by individuals from the tribal areas and commanded by officers from the Pakistan Army; its primary mission is security of the border with Afghanistan; the Frontier Corps is under the Ministry of Interior, but would report to the Army in times of conflictnote 3: the Pakistan Rangers is a paramilitary force operating in Sindh and Punjab

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 630,000 active-duty personnel (550,000 Army; 30,000 Navy; 50,000 Air Force); approximately 150,000 Frontier Corps and Pakistan Rangers (2023)

Military deployments

1,300 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,900 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 275 South Sudan (UNMISS); 575 Sudan (UNISFA) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory includes a broad mix of equipment, primarily from China, but also from such suppliers as France, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK, and the US; China has been the leading supplier of arms to Pakistan; Pakistan also has a large domestic defense industry (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

4.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

4.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

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 service age and obligation

16 (or 17 depending on service) to 23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; women serve in all three armed forces; reserve obligation to age 45 for enlisted men, age 50 for officers (2023)

Disputes - international

Pakistan-Afghanistan: since 2002, with UN assistance, Pakistan has repatriated about 5.3 million Afghan refugees, leaving about 2.74-3 million; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan, which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; in February 2022, amid skirmishes between Taliban and Pakistani forces, Pakistan announced its intent to finish constructing the barbed wire fence along the Durand Line and bring nearby areas under its control; Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps Pakistan-China: none identified Pakistan-India: Kashmir remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; India and Pakistan have initiated discussions on defusing the armed standoff in the Siachen glacier region; the Siachen glacier is claimed by both countries and militarily occupied by India: Pakistan opposed India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control (completed in 2004) and the construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River (opened in 2008) in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show Junagadh in India's Gujarat State as part of Pakistan Pakistan-Iran: none identified    

Illicit drugs

one of the world’s top transit corridors for opiates and cannabis products trafficked with Afghanistan and Iran; increased synthetic drug smuggling primarily methamphetamine; a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of heroin and amphetamine-type stimulants

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

21,000 (primarily those who remain displaced by counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations and violent conflict between armed non-state groups in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber-Paktunkwa Province; more than 1 million displaced in northern Waziristan in 2014; individuals also have been displaced by repeated monsoon floods) (2022)

refugees (country of origin)

2.64-2.9 million (1.3 million registered, 1.34-1.6  million undocumented or otherwise categorized) (Afghanistan) (2023)

stateless persons

48 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO; established 1961); National Remote Sensing Center (aka Resacent; established 1980) (2023)

Space launch site(s)

Somiani Flight Test Range (Balochistan); Tilla Satellite Launch Center (aka Tilla Range; Punjab) (2023)

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; more recently, the program has regained attention and become more ambitious, particularly in 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 and probably satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs); also conducts research in such areas as astronomy, astrophysics, environmental monitoring, and space sciences; has relations or cooperation agreements on space with China, Russia, and Turkey (cooperated with the UK and US prior to the 1990s) (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Terrorist group(s)

Haqqani Network; Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami; Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Hizbul Mujahideen; Indian Mujahedeen; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K); Islamic State of ash-Sham – India; Islamic State of ash-Sham – Pakistan; Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan; Jaish-e-Mohammed; Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Lashkar i Jhangvi; Lashkar-e Tayyiba; Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP); al-Qa’ida; al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

201.15 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

142.12 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

50.13 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

Environment - current 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

Environment - international 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

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity

due to population displacements, economic constraints, and high prices of the main food staple - according to the latest analysis, the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity between April and October 2023 is estimated at 10.5 million people, due to the devastating flood impacts in 2022; price of wheat flour, the country’s main staple, were at elevated levels in most markets in January 2023, constraining access to a key staple food (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

35.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 27.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 6.5% (2018 est.)

forest

2.1% (2018 est.)

other

62.7% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Indus Basin

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 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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)

Revenue from coal

0.06% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

246.8 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

172.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

1.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

9.65 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

38% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

30.76 million tons (2017 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

2,460,800 tons (2017 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

8% (2017 est.)