Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
1 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
3.36 million (2023 est.)
Communications: 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)
Communications: Internet country code
.pk
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
27% (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
1 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
2.573 million (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
77 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
193 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
sugarcane, bison milk, wheat, milk, rice, maize, potatoes, cotton, mangoes/guavas, chicken (2023)
Economy: Average household expenditures: on alcohol and tobacco
1.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Economy: Average household expenditures: on food
37.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$49.558 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$40.774 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2013
-$4.416 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2014
-$3.658 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2015
-$2.803 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2016
-$7.191 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2017
-$16.180 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2018
-$18.859 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2019
-$8.558 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2020
-$650.9 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2021
-$12.283 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2022
-$12.216 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2023
-$1.039 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2024
$699.22 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2022
$127.601 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2023
$89.148 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
278.581 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2013
101.629 (2013 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2014
101.100 (2014 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2015
102.769 (2015 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2016
104.769 (2016 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2017
105.455 (2017 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2018
121.824 (2018 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2019
150.036 (2019 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
161.838 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
162.906 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
204.867 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
280.356 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
278.581 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
garments, fabric, refined petroleum, rice, cotton fabric (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2011
$31.089 billion (2011 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2014
$30.382 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2015
$29.920 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2016
$27.401 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2017
$27.888 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2018
$30.562 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2019
$30.136 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2020
$27.935 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$31.546 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$38.967 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$36.215 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$40.219 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
10.4% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
8.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
85.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
-17.1% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
11.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
1.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
23.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
20% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
50.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$6,252 (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$373.072 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$1.571 trillion (2024 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015
31.3 (2015 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018
29.6 (2018 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2024
33.5 (2024 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%
25.5% (2018 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
4.2% (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
natural gas, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, palm oil, plastics (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2010
$38.067 billion (2010 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2015
$50.135 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2016
$50.071 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2017
$58.514 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2018
$67.822 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2019
$62.625 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2020
$52.327 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$62.659 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$76.594 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$58.069 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$66.844 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
-1.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015
2.53% (2015 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016
3.77% (2016 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017
4.09% (2017 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018
5.08% (2018 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019
10.58% (2019 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
9.74% (2020 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
9.50% (2021 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
19.87% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
30.77% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
12.63% (2024 est.)
Economy: Labor force
83.644 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Population below poverty line
21.90% (2018 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2016
67.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014
$924.121 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015
$973.520 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016
$1.019 trillion (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017
$1.069 trillion (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019
$1.163 trillion (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020
$1.186 trillion (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$1.285 trillion (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$1.347 trillion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$1.346 trillion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$1.39 trillion (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2015
4.22% (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2016
6.57% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2017
4.43% (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2018
6.15% (2018 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2019
2.50% (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2020
-1.27% (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2021
6.51% (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
4.78% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
-0.41% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
3.05% (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2014
$4,313 (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2015
$4,480 (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2016
$4,631 (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2017
$4,790 (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2019
$5,038 (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2020
$5,048 (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2021
$5,367 (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$5,920 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$6,014 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2013
$14.629 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2014
$17.244 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2015
$19.306 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2020
$26.089 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
$31.312 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
8% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
7.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2024
9.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015
$20.028 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016
$22.028 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017
$18.456 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018
$11.837 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019
$16.586 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020
$18.522 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
$22.812 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$9.927 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$13.73 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$18.408 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2019
4.83% (2019 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2020
5.99% (2020 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2021
6.34% (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
5.29% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
5.24% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
5.49% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
10.1% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
9.8% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
9.9% (2024 est.)
Energy: Coal: consumption
30.191 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: exports
900 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: imports
16.185 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: production
13.765 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: proven reserves
2.857 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - rural areas
93%
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
95% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - urban areas
100%
Energy: Electricity generation sources: biomass and waste
1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
60.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: hydroelectricity
19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: nuclear
14.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: wind
3.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
145.357 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: imports
481.25 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
43.512 million kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
25.811 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
14.076 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: consumption
36.323 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: imports
8.847 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: production
27.476 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: proven reserves
592.219 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors
3.26GW (2025 est.)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down
1 (2025)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Number of nuclear reactors under construction
1 (2025)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Number of operational nuclear reactors
6 (2025)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Percent of total electricity production
17.4% (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: crude oil estimated reserves
540 million barrels (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
645,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: total petroleum production
91,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from coal and metallurgical coke
59.937 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from consumed natural gas
59.006 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
93.713 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
212.655 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Environment: 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
Environment: 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
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
Marine Life Conservation
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
46.7% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 39.3% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 6.5% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
4.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
49.2% (2023 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: agriculture
5,381.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: energy
1,625.2 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: other
128.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: waste
700.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
50.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
246.8 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
172.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: industrial
1.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
9.65 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
2.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
39.17% (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
30.76 million tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
13.8% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly more than five times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of California
Geography: Area: land
770,875 sq km
Geography: Area: water
25,220 sq km
Geography: Coastline
1,046 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Arabian Sea 0 m
Geography: Elevation: mean elevation
900 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
30 00 N, 70 00 E
Geography: Geography - note
controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and India
Geography: Irrigated land
194,200 sq km (2022)
Geography: Land boundaries: border countries
Afghanistan 2,670 km; China 438 km; India 3,190 km; Iran 959 km
Geography: Land boundaries: total
7,257 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
46.7% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 39.3% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 6.5% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
4.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
49.2% (2023 est.)
Geography: Major aquifers
Indus Basin
Geography: 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
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Indian Ocean drainage
Indus (1,081,718 sq km)
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km), (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km)
Geography: Map references
Asia
Geography: Maritime claims: contiguous zone
24 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm
Geography: Natural hazards
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)
Geography: Population distribution
the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated
Geography: 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
Government: Administrative divisions
4 provinces, 2 Pakistan-administered areas*, and 1 capital territory**; Azad Kashmir*, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh
Government: Capital: 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"
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
33 41 N, 73 03 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
yes
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Pakistan
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
yes, but limited to select countries
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
4 out of the previous 7 years and including the 12 months preceding application
Government: Constitution: amendment process
proposed by the Senate or by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses
Government: Constitution: history
several previous; latest endorsed 12 April 1973, passed 19 April 1973, entered into force 14 August 1973 (suspended and restored several times)
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Pakistan
Government: Country name: 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"
Government: Country name: former
West Pakistan
Government: Country name: local long form
Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan
Government: Country name: local short form
Pakistan
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. BAKER (since January 2025)
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: consulate(s) general
Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: email address and website
ACSIslamabad@state.gov https://pk.usembassy.gov/
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX
[92] 51-2338071
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: mailing address
8100 Islamabad Place, Washington, DC 20521-8100
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: telephone
[92] 051-201-4000
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery
3517 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Ambassador Rizwan Saeed SHEIKH (since 18 September 2024)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s) general
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: email address and website
consularsection@embassyofpakistanusa.org https://embassyofpakistanusa.org/
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX
[1] (202) 686-1534
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: telephone
[1] (202) 243-6500
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
President Asif Ali ZARDARI (since 10 March 2024)
Government: Executive branch: 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
Government: Executive branch: 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
Government: Executive branch: expected date of next election
2029
Government: Executive branch: head of government
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz SHARIF (since 3 March 2024)
Government: Executive branch: most recent election date
9 March 2024
Government: 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
Government: International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
Government: 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, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNSOS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Government: Judicial branch: highest court(s)
Supreme Court of Pakistan (consists of the chief justice and 16 judges)
Government: Judicial branch: 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
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
High Courts; Federal Shariat Court; provincial and district civil and criminal courts; specialized courts for issues, such as taxation, banking, and customs
Government: Legal system
common law system with Islamic law influence
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name
National Assembly
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: electoral system
plurality/majority
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: expected date of next election
February 2029
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: most recent election date
2/8/2024
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: number of seats
336 (all directly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: 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)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: percentage of women in chamber
17%
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: term in office
5 years
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name
Senate
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: expected date of next election
March 2027
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: most recent election date
4/2/2024
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: number of seats
96 (all indirectly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: percentage of women in chamber
18.8%
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: scope of elections
partial renewal
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: term in office
6 years
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
bicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
Parliament (Majlis-E-Shoora)
Government: National anthem(s): history
adopted 1954; also known as "Pak sarzamin shad bad" (Blessed Be the Sacred Land)
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA
Government: National color(s)
green, white
Government: 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
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
6 (all cultural)
Government: National holiday
Pakistan Day, 23 March, also referred to as Pakistan Resolution Day (1940) or Republic Day (1956)
Government: National symbol(s)
five-pointed star between the horns of a waxing crescent moon, jasmine
Government: 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
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Introduction: 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.
Military and 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 and Security: 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 and Security: Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 650,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Military and Security: Military deployments
1,400 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 300 MONUSCO; 300 South Sudan (UNMISS); 575 Sudan (UNISFA) (2025)
Military and Security: 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: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2015
3.16% (2015 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2016
3.20% (2016 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2017
3.36% (2017 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2018
3.59% (2018 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2019
3.51% (2019 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2020
3.49% (2020 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021
3.39% (2021 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2022
3.18% (2022 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2023
2.88% (2023 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024
2.67% (2024 est.)
Military and Security: 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)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
34.4% (male 44,330,669/female 42,529,007)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
60.7% (male 78,321,834/female 74,833,003)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
4.9% (2024 est.) (male 5,735,294/female 6,613,764)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
25.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Child marriage: men married by age 18
4.7% (2018)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 15
3.6% (2018)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 18
18.3% (2018)
People and Society: Children under the age of 5 years underweight
23.1% (2018 est.)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
2.52% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
63.4% (2018 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
5.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
8.2 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
12.1 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
64 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
55.8 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: rural
rural: 89.3% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 90.6% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: urban
urban: 92.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: rural
rural: 10.7% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 9.4% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: urban
urban: 7.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP)
1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% national budget)
9.8% national budget (2023 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditures
1.95% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Ethnic groups
Punjabi 44.7%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.4%, Sindhi 14.1%, Saraiki 8.4%, Muhajirs 7.6%, Baloch 3.6%, other 6.3%
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
1.59 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
2.9% of GDP (2021)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
5.6% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.20% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
0.6 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
46.8 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
56 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
48.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
People and Society: 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%
People and Society: Languages: major-language sample(s)
دنیا کا قاموس، ایک لازمی زریہ بنیادی معلومات کا (Urdu) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
70.3 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
65.5 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: female
48.5% (2021 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: male
69.1% (2021 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: total population
58.86% (2021 est.)
People and Society: 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)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
155 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
People and Society: Median age: female
23 years
People and Society: Median age: male
22.8 years
People and Society: Mother's mean age at first birth
22.8 years (2017/18 est.)
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
Pakistani
People and Society: Net migration rate
-1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
8.6% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
People and Society: Population
251,269,164 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population distribution
the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated
People and Society: Population growth rate
1.51% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
126,320,029
People and Society: Population: male
130,727,015
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: rural
rural: 76.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
total: 81.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: urban
urban: 90.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: rural
rural: 23.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 18.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: urban
urban: 9.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): female
7 years (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): male
8 years (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total
8 years (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.04 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
1.05 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.87 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: female
5.4% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: male
25.7% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: total
15.5% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
3.55 children born/woman (2024 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
2.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
39.17% (2024 est.)
Space: 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
Space: Space agency/agencies
Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO; established 1961) (2025)
Space: Space launch site(s)
none; missile test sites at Somiani (Balochistan) and Tilla Jogian (Punjab) (2025)
Space: 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)
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)
Transnational Issues: Illicit drugs: USG identification
major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
224,813 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees
1,759,332 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: stateless persons
60 (2024 est.)
Transportation: Airports
117 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
AP
Transportation: Heliports
48 (2025)
Transportation: Merchant marine: by type
bulk carrier 5, oil tanker 9, other 46
Transportation: Merchant marine: total
60 (2023)
Transportation: Ports: key ports
Gwadar, Karachi, Muhamamad Bin Qasim
Transportation: Ports: large
0
Transportation: Ports: medium
2
Transportation: Ports: ports with oil terminals
2
Transportation: Ports: small
1
Transportation: Ports: total ports
3 (2024)
Transportation: Ports: very small
0
Transportation: Railways: broad gauge
11,492 km (2021) 1.676-m gauge (286 km electrified)
Transportation: Railways: narrow gauge
389 km (2021) 1.000-m gauge
Transportation: Railways: total
11,881 km (2021)
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.