Country Pakistan | Percent change 2.0% | |
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The Census in Pakistan is a descriptive count of everyone who is in Pakistan on the Census Day, and of their dwellings, conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The decennial Pakistan census has been conducted five times, as of 1947.
Contents
Overview
The census of Pakistan is conducted every 10 years across the entire nation. The first census was conducted after independence in 1951 and followed up in 1961, 1972, 1981 and 1998. The 1971 census was delayed one year due to the conflict in East Pakistan, while the census in 1991 was delayed due to political issues. Pakistan's next national census was scheduled to take place in 2001 and later 2008, and again in 2010, but none of those plans could materialize.There were multiple census counts completed for the latest round in April 2012, but were subsequently thrown out as being "unreliable". A UN led census was to be conducted with staff training and GPS digitisation. As of 2015, the population of Pakistan is estimated at 191.71 million. As of 2016, the vote bank of religious minorities in Pakistan has increased to 3 million.
1951 census
According to 1951 census, the population of Pakistan was 75 million, with 33.7 million residing in West Pakistan and 42 million residing in East Pakistan. Hindus constituted 12.9% of the Pakistani population, which made Pakistan the second largest Hindu country in the world - West Pakistan had 1.6% of the Hindu population, while East Pakistan had 22.05%.
1961 census
According to 1961 census, the population of Pakistan was 93 million, with 42.8 million residing in West Pakistan and 50 million residing in East Pakistan. The literacy was 19.2%, in which East Pakistan had a literacy rate of 21.5% and West Pakistan 16.3% literacy rate. Hindus in East Pakistan was 18.4% growth rate of population at that time was 2.4%.
1972 census
As per 1972 census, the population of Pakistan was 65.3 million. The 1971 census was delayed by a year on account of the War of 1971 and subsequent loss of East Pakistan. After 1972 Census, the Census Organization was merged into the Ministry of Interior. In 1972, Pakistan’s population 72 million.
1981 census
According to the fourth census of Pakistan, 1981, the population of Pakistan was 83.782 million which is expected to shoot up to 110 million by the end of 1991.
1998 census
As per 1998 census, population of Pakistan was 130,857,717. With the inclusion of the population of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, the population was 134,714,017 in 1998.
2017 census
The sixth national population census in Pakistan was initially to be held in March 2016, but the census was postponed. This census will be done after 19 years. Transgender population will be counted in population census in Pakistan for first time. According to the government, the sixth national population census in Pakistan will begin on March 15, 2017.