Communications
Broadcast media [time series]
media is government regulated; 1 dominant state-owned TV broadcaster, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), operates a network consisting of 5 channels; private TV broadcasters are permitted; to date 69 foreign satellite channels are operational; the state-owned radio network operates more than 40 stations; nearly 100 commercially licensed privately owned radio stations provide programming mostly limited to music and talk shows (2007)
Internet country code [time series]
.pk
Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]
365,813 (2012) country comparison to the world: 57
Internet users [time series]
20.431 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 20
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: the telecommunications infrastructure is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments in fixed-line and mobile-cellular networks; system consists of microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks; domestic: mobile-cellular subscribership has skyrocketed, exceeding 110 million by the end of 2011, up from only about 300,000 in 2000; more than 90 percent of Pakistanis live within areas that have cell phone coverage and more than half of all Pakistanis have access to a cell phone; fiber systems are being constructed throughout the country to aid in network growth; fixed line availability has risen only marginally over the same period and there are still difficulties getting fixed-line service to rural areas international: country code - 92; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable systems that provide links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; 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 (2011)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]
5.803 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 29
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
125 million (2013) country comparison to the world: 9
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs
Budget [time series]
revenues: $27.48 billion expenditures: $42.15 billion (2012 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]
-6.6% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 184
Central bank discount rate [time series]
12% (31 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 14% (31 December 2010 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]
12.41% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 14.12% (31 December 2011 est.)
Current account balance [time series]
$-2.072 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 143 $-2.234 billion (2011 est.)
Debt - external [time series]
$54.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $60.18 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]
30.6 (FY07/08) country comparison to the world: 113 41 (FY98/99)
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
Decades of internal political disputes and low levels of foreign investment have led to slow growth and underdevelopment in Pakistan. Agriculture accounts for more than one-fifth of output and two-fifths of employment. Textiles account for most of Pakistan's export earnings, and Pakistan's failure to expand a viable export base for other manufactures has left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Official unemployment is under 6%, but this fails to capture the true picture, because much of the economy is informal and underemployment remains high. Over the past few years, low growth and high inflation, led by a spurt in food prices, have increased the amount of poverty - the UN Human Development Report estimated poverty in 2011 at almost 50% of the population. Inflation has worsened the situation, climbing from 7.7% in 2007 to almost 12% for 2011, before declining to 10% in 2012. As a result of political and economic instability, the Pakistani rupee has depreciated more than 40% since 2007. The government agreed to an International Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in November 2008 in response to a balance of payments crisis. Although the economy has stabilized since the crisis, it has failed to recover. Foreign investment has not returned, due to investor concerns related to governance, energy, security, and a slow-down in the global economy. Remittances from overseas workers, averaging about $1 billion a month since March 2011, remain a bright spot for Pakistan. However, after a small current account surplus in fiscal year 2011 (July 2010/June 2011), Pakistan's current account turned to deficit in fiscal year 2012, spurred by higher prices for imported oil and lower prices for exported cotton. Pakistan remains stuck in a low-income, low-growth trap, with growth averaging about 3% per year from 2008 to 2012. Pakistan must address long standing issues related to government revenues and energy production in order to spur the amount of economic growth that will be necessary to employ its growing and rapidly urbanizing population, more than half of which is under 22. Other long term challenges include expanding investment in education and healthcare, adapting to the effects of climate change and natural disasters, and reducing dependence on foreign donors.
Exchange rates [time series]
Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar - 93.4 (2012 est.) 86.34 (2011 est.) 85.19 (2010 est.) 81.71 (2009) 70.64 (2008)
Exports [time series]
$24.71 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $26.31 billion (2011 est.)
Exports - commodities [time series]
textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs
Exports - partners [time series]
US 13.6%, China 11.1%, UAE 8.5%, Afghanistan 7.8% (2012)
Fiscal year [time series]
1 July - 30 June
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$222.5 billion (2012 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$546.7 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 27 $523.8 billion (2011 est.) $505.3 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars
GDP - composition, by end use [time series]
household consumption: 82.5% government consumption: 10.5% investment in fixed capital: 13.3% investment in inventories: 1.6% exports of goods and services: 12.3% imports of goods and services: -20.3% (2012 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 24.4% industry: 22% services: 53.6% (2012 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$3,100 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 175 $3,000 (2011 est.) $2,900 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
4.4% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 81 3.7% (2011 est.) 2.6% (2010 est.)
Gross national saving [time series]
13.3% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 111 12.9% of GDP (2011 est.) 14.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 3.9% highest 10%: 39.3% (FY07/08)
Imports [time series]
$40.07 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $38.85 billion (2011 est.)
Imports - commodities [time series]
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea
Imports - partners [time series]
China 19.7%, Saudi Arabia 12.3%, UAE 12.1%, Kuwait 6.3% (2012)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
2.7% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Industries [time series]
textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
9.7% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 199 11.9% (2011 est.)
Labor force [time series]
59.21 million country comparison to the world: 10 note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2012 est.)
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 45.1% industry: 20.7% services: 34.2% (2010 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]
$32.76 billion (31 December 2011) country comparison to the world: 55 $38.17 billion (31 December 2010) $33.24 billion (31 December 2009)
Population below poverty line [time series]
22.3% (FY05/06 est.)
Public debt [time series]
52.1% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 48.7% of GDP (2011 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$13.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 $18.09 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of broad money [time series]
$76.16 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 58 $71.36 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]
$1.519 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $1.432 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]
$22.73 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $21.88 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of domestic credit [time series]
$94.65 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 $86.76 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of narrow money [time series]
$62.29 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 $56.34 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
12.4% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Unemployment rate [time series]
6% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 6% (2011 est.) note: substantial underemployment exists
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]
139.7 million Mt (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Crude oil - exports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Crude oil - imports [time series]
151,200 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Crude oil - production [time series]
61,660 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]
247.5 million bbl (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 56
Electricity - consumption [time series]
70.1 billion kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]
68.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]
29.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]
2.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]
22.27 million kW (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Electricity - production [time series]
94.65 billion kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Natural gas - imports [time series]
0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Natural gas - production [time series]
39.15 billion cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
679.6 billion cu m (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 31
Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]
426,700 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
34,660 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]
227,100 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Refined petroleum products - production [time series]
210,100 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Geography
total: 796,095 sq km country comparison to the world: 36 land: 770,875 sq km water: 25,220 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly less than twice the size of California
Climate [time series]
mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Coastline [time series]
1,046 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
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
International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Total water withdrawal (Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)) [time series]
total: 183.5 cu km/yr (5%/1%/94%) per capita: 1,038 cu m/yr (2008)
Geographic coordinates [time series]
30 00 N, 70 00 E
Geography - note [time series]
controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
Irrigated land [time series]
199,900 sq km (2008)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 6,774 km border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 26.02% permanent crops: 1.05% other: 72.93% (2011)
Location [time series]
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
Map references [time series]
Asia
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Natural hazards [time series]
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)
Natural resources [time series]
land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Terrain [time series]
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west
Total renewable water resources [time series]
246.8 cu km (2011)
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North-West Frontier Province), Punjab, Sindh note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities: Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan
Capital [time series]
name: Islamabad geographic coordinates: 33 41 N, 73 03 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution [time series]
several previous; latest endorsed 12 April 1973, passed 19 April 1973, entered into force 14 August 1973 (suspended and restored several times); amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan conventional short form: Pakistan local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan local short form: Pakistan former: West Pakistan
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard OLSON (since 24 September 2012) embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad mailing address: 8100 Islamabad Pl., Washington, DC 20521-8100 telephone: [92] (51) 208-0000 FAX: [92] (51) 227-6427 consulate(s) general: Karachi consulate(s): Lahore, Peshawar
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador (acting) Asad KHAN, Dr. chancery: 3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 243-6500 FAX: [1] (202) 686-1534 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Sunnyvale (CA) consulate(s): Chicago, Houston
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President Mamnoon HUSSAIN (since 9 September 2013) head of government: Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF (since 5 June 2013) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the advice of the prime minister (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president elected by secret ballot through an Electoral College comprising the members of the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies for a five-year term; election last held on 9 September 2013 (next to be held in 2018); prime minister selected by the National Assembly election results: Mamnoon HUSSAIN elected president; Mamnoon HUSSAIN 432 votes, Wajihuddin AHMED 77 votes
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
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 [time series]
federal republic
Independence [time series]
14 August 1947 (from British India)
International law organization participation [time series]
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation [time series]
ADB, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), C, 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), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch [time series]
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 Majlis-e-Shoora (parliamentary) Committee upon the recommendation of the Judicial Commission (a 9-member body of several judges and other judicial professionals), and appointed by the president of Pakistan; 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, customs, etc.
Legal system [time series]
common law system with Islamic law influence
Legislative branch [time series]
bicameral parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (104 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies and the territories' representatives in the National Assembly to serve six-year terms; one half are elected every three years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 members elected by popular vote; 60 seats reserved for women; 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims; members serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held on 2 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2015); National Assembly - last held on 11 May 2013 (next to be held in 2018) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPPP 41, PML-N 14, ANP 12, JUI-F 7, MQM 7, PML-Q 5, BNP-A 4, NPP 1, PML-F 1, independents 12; National Assembly - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by party as of June 2013) - PML-N 126, PPPP 31, PTI 28, MQM 18, JUI-F 10, PML-F 5, other 22, independents 25, unfilled seats 7; 60 seats reserved for women, 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
name: "Qaumi Tarana" (National Anthem)
National holiday [time series]
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 during the transition to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 23 March 1956
National symbol(s) [time series]
star and crescent
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN] Balochistan National Party-Awami or BNP-A Balochistan National Party-Hayee Group or BNP-H [Dr. Hayee BALOCH] Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M Jamaat-i Islami or JI [Syed Munawar HASAN] Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP Jamiat Ahle Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR] Jamiat-i Ulema-i Islam Fazl-ur Rehman or JUI-F [Fazl-ur REHMAN] Jamiat-i Ulema-i Islam Sami-ul HAQ or JUI-S [Sami ul-HAQ] Jamiat-i Ulema-i Pakistan or JUP [Abul Khair ZUBAIR] Millat-e-Jafferia [Allama Sajid NAQVI] Muttahida Qaumi Movement or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN] National Peoples Party or NPP Pakhtun-khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI] Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI] Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i Azam or PML-Q [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN] Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F [Pir PAGARO] Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N [Nawaz SHARIF] Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI, chairman; Asif Ali ZARDARI, co-chairman] Pakistan Peoples Party-S [Aftab Ahmad SHERPAO] Quami Watan Party or QWP [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO] Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN] note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
other: military (most important political force); ulema (clergy); landowners; industrialists; small merchants
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal; note - there are joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims
Introduction
Background [time series]
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 was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's 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 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. In January 2012, Pakistan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2012-13 term.
Military
Manpower available for military service [time series]
males age 16-49: 48,453,305 females age 16-49: 44,898,096 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service [time series]
males age 16-49: 37,945,440 females age 16-49: 37,381,549 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]
male: 2,237,723 female: 2,104,906 (2010 est.)
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes Marines and Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2013)
Military expenditures [time series]
3.1% of GDP (2012) country comparison to the world: 38
Military service age and obligation [time series]
16-23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; the Pakistani Air Force and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and sailors; the Pakistan Air Force recruits aviation technicians at age 15; service obligation (Navy) 10-18 years; retirement required after 18-30 years service or age 40-52 (2012)
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 34% (male 33,774,720/female 31,967,787) 15-24 years: 21.6% (male 21,560,699/female 20,223,691) 25-54 years: 35.1% (male 35,272,193/female 32,587,417) 55-64 years: 5% (male 4,767,260/female 4,832,047) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 3,877,418/female 4,375,636) (2013 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
23.76 births/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]
30.9% (2011) country comparison to the world: 14
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
27% (2007/08)
Death rate [time series]
6.69 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Dependency ratios [time series]
total dependency ratio: 61.8 % youth dependency ratio: 54.7 % elderly dependency ratio: 7.1 % potential support ratio: 14.1 (2013)
Drinking water source [time series]
improved: urban: 96% of population rural: 89% of population total: 92% of population unimproved: urban: 4% of population rural: 11% of population total: 8% of population (2010 est.)
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
2.4% of GDP (2010) country comparison to the world: 161
Ethnic groups [time series]
Punjabi 44.68%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.38%, Muhajirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
0.1% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
5,800 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
98,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]
2.5% of GDP (2011) country comparison to the world: 185
Hospital bed density [time series]
0.6 beds/1,000 population (2010)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 59.35 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 25 male: 62.56 deaths/1,000 live births female: 55.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
Languages [time series]
Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 66.71 years country comparison to the world: 167 male: 64.84 years female: 68.66 years (2013 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 54.9% male: 68.6% female: 40.3% (2009 est.)
Major infectious diseases [time series]
degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)
Major urban areas - population [time series]
Karachi 13.125 million; Lahore 7.132 million; Faisalabad 2.849 million; Rawalpindi 2.026 million; ISLAMABAD (capital) 832,000 (2009)
Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]
260 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 44
Median age [time series]
total: 22.2 years male: 22.2 years female: 22.3 years (2013 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]
22.7 (2007 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Pakistani(s) adjective: Pakistani
Net migration rate [time series]
-1.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
5.5% (2008) country comparison to the world: 153
Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]
0.81 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
Population [time series]
193,238,868 (July 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Population growth rate [time series]
1.52% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Religions [time series]
Muslim (official) 96.4% (Sunni 85-90%, Shia 10-15%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3.6% (2010 est.)
Sanitation facility access [time series]
improved: urban: 72% of population rural: 34% of population total: 48% of population unimproved: urban: 28% of population rural: 66% of population total: 52% of population (2010 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]
total: 8 years male: 8 years female: 7 years (2011)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
2.96 children born/woman (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]
total: 7.7% country comparison to the world: 121 male: 7% female: 10.5% (2008)
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 36.2% of total population (2011) rate of urbanization: 2.68% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
various talks and confidence-building measures cautiously have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless 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 maintained their 2004 cease-fire in Kashmir and initiated discussions on defusing the armed standoff in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control and construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River 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 the Junagadh claim in India's Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan, with UN assistance, repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees leaving slightly more than a million, many of whom remain at their own choosing; 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; Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps
Illicit drugs [time series]
significant transit area for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Iran, Western markets, the Gulf States, Africa, and Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced eradication, fines, and arrests
Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]
refugees (country of origin): 2.9 million (1.9 million registered, 1 million undocumented ) (Afghanistan) (2013) IDPs: 758,000 (primarily includes IDPs who remain displaced by conflict in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber-Paktunkwa Province that peaked in 2009) (2013)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
151 (2013) country comparison to the world: 37
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 108 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 43 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 10 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 43 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 24 (2013)
Heliports [time series]
23 (2013)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 11 country comparison to the world: 110 by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 3, petroleum tanker 3 registered in other countries: 11 (Comoros 5, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 1, Panama 3, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1) (2010)
Pipelines [time series]
gas 12,646 km; oil 2,576 km; refined products 1,087 km (2013)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim
Railways [time series]
total: 7,791 km country comparison to the world: 27 broad gauge: 7,479 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified) narrow gauge: 312 km 1.000-m gauge (2007)
Roadways [time series]
total: 262,256 km country comparison to the world: 20 paved: 189,218 km (includes 708 km of expressways) unpaved: 73,038 km (2010)