ARCHIVE // PK // 2015

Pakistan

2015 Edition — sovereign

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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 [time series]
total: 21.3 million | percent of population: 10.8% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 31, FM 68, shortwave NA (2006)
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 [time series]
total subscriptions: 4.9 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 31
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total: 135.8 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 69 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
20 (5 state-run channels and 15 privately-owned satellite channels) (2006)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs
Budget [time series]
revenues: $36.92 billion | expenditures: $51.02 billion (FY2014 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]
-5.9% of GDP (FY2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181
Central bank discount rate [time series]
9.5% (18 December 2014) | 10% (31 December 2013) | country comparison to the world: 23
Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]
9.7% (8 December 2014 est.) | 9.98% (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86
Current account balance [time series]
-$3.096 billion (2014 est.) | -$2.496 billion (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155
Debt - external [time series]
$62.33 billion (30 June 2014 est.) | $57.8 billion (30 June 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]
29.6 (FY2011) | 30 (FY2008) | country comparison to the world: 121
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-fourth of output and two-fifths of employment. Textiles account for most of Pakistan's export earnings, and Pakistan's failure to diversify its exportshas left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Official unemployment was 6.9% in 2014, but this fails to capture the true picture, because much of the economy is informal and underemployment remains high. Pakistan’s human development continues to lag behind most of the region.. As a result of political and macroeconomic instability, the Pakistani rupee has depreciated more than 40% since 2007. The government agreed to an International Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in November 2008 to preventa balance of payments crisis, but the IMF ended the Arrangement early because of Pakistan’s failure to implement required reforms. The economy has stabilized, it continues to underperform and foreign investment has not returned to levels seen during themid-2000’s, due to investor concerns related to governance, electricity shortages, , and a slow-down in the global economy. Remittances from overseas workers, averaging more than$1 billion a month, remain a bright spot for Pakistan. After a small current account surplus in fiscal year 2011 (July 2010/June 2011), Pakistan's current account turned to a deficit where it remained through 2014, spurred by higher prices for imported oil and lower prices for exported cotton. In September 2013, after facing balance of payments concerns, Pakistan entered into a three-year, $6.7 billion IMF Extended Fund Facility. The Sharif government has since made modest progress implementing fiscal and energy reforms, and in December 2014 the IMF described Pakistan’s progress as “broadly on track.” Pakistan remains stuck in a low-income, low-growth trap, with growth averaging about 3.5% per year from 2008 to 2014. Pakistan must address long standing issues related to government revenues and the electricity and natural gas sectorsin 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 - | 102.89 (FY2014 est.) | 96.86 (FY2013 est.) | 93.4 (2012 est.) | 86.3434 (2011 est.) | 85.194 (2010 est.)
Exports [time series]
$25.11 billion (FY2014 est.) | $24.46 billion (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71
Exports - commodities [time series]
textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sporting goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs
Exports - partners [time series]
US 12.9%, China 11%, UAE 9.2%, Afghanistan 8%, UK 4.3%, Germany 4.2% (2013)
Fiscal year [time series]
1 July - 30 June
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$250.1 billion (2014 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$882.3 billion (2014 est.) | $847.2 billion (2013 est.) | $817 billion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 27
GDP - composition, by end use [time series]
household consumption: 80.5% | government consumption: 12% | investment in fixed capital: 12.4% | investment in inventories: 1.6% | exports of goods and services: 12.3% | imports of goods and services: -18.8% | (2014 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 25.1% | industry: 21.3% | services: 53.6% (2014 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$4,700 (2014 est.) | $4,500 (2013 est.) | $4,400 (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 174
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
4.1% (2014 est.) | 3.7% (2013 est.) | 3.8% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68
Gross national saving [time series]
12.8% of GDP (2014 est.) | 13.5% of GDP (2013 est.) | 13% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 4.2% | highest 10%: 25.6% (FY2011)
Imports [time series]
$45.07 billion (FY2014 est.) | $44.95 billion (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58
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 22.5%, Saudi Arabia 11.9%, UAE 11.7%, Kuwait 6.1%, India 4.6% (2013)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
5.8% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43
Industries [time series]
textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
8.6% (FY2014 est.) | 7.4% (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207
Labor force [time series]
62.42 million | note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 44% | industry: 22% | services: 33% (FY2013 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]
$43.68 billion (31 December 2012 est.) | $32.76 billion (31 December 2011) | $38.17 billion (31 December 2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54
Population below poverty line [time series]
12.4% (FY2011 est.)
Public debt [time series]
64.3% of GDP (FY2014 est.) | 64.8% of GDP (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$14.41 billion (30 June 2014 est.) | $10.83 billion (30 June 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72
Stock of broad money [time series]
$97.27 billion (31 October 2014 est.) | $98.77 billion (30 June 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]
$1.805 billion (30 June 2014 est.) | $1.731 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]
$31.25 billion (30 June 2014 est.) | $27.59 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65
Stock of domestic credit [time series]
$102 billion (31 October 2014 est.) | $94.67 billion (30 June 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52
Stock of narrow money [time series]
$76.42 billion (31 October 2014 est.) | $77.62 billion (30 June 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
15.5% of GDP (FY2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189
Unemployment rate [time series]
6.8% (2014 est.) | 6.2% (2013 est.) | note: substantial underemployment exists | country comparison to the world: 71
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]
146.9 million Mt (2012 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]
372,800 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25
Crude oil - production [time series]
59,590 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57
Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]
341.9 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54
Electricity - consumption [time series]
80.3 billion kWh (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184
Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]
68% of total installed capacity (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]
28.9% of total installed capacity (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79
Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]
3.3% of total installed capacity (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25
Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]
0.2% of total installed capacity (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188
Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]
23.66 million kW (FY2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35
Electricity - production [time series]
89.88 billion kWh (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
41.4 billion cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
Natural gas - imports [time series]
0 cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - production [time series]
41.4 billion cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 21
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
754.6 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29
Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]
437,100 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
34,660 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67
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: 53
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 796,095 sq km | land: 770,875 sq km | water: 25,220 sq km | country comparison to the world: 36
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly more than five times the size of Georgia; 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: 7,257 km | border countries (4): Afghanistan 2,670 km, China 438 km, India 3,190 km, Iran 959 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 35.2% | arable land 27.6%; permanent crops 1.1%; permanent pasture 6.5% | forest: 2.1% | other: 62.7% (2011 est.)
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]
arable 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 2 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 2015 (2015)
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 31 October 2012) | embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad | mailing address: 8100 Islamabad Place, 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 Jalil Abbas JILANI (since 10 March 2014) | chancery: 3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 243-6500 | FAX: [1] (202) 686-1544 | consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles | consulate(s): Louisville (KY), San Francisco
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 | 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 (eligible for reelection); 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 (PML-N) 432 votes, Wajihuddin AHMED (PTI) 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), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, 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 parliamentary committee upon the recommendation of the Judicial Commission (a 9-member body of 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]
description: bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (104 seats; members indirectly elected by the 4 provincial assemblies and the territories' representatives by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the 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) | elections: Senate - last held on 5 March 2015 (next to be held in March 2018); National Assembly - last held on 11 May 2013 (next to be held by 2018) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPPP 27, PML-N 26, MQM 8, ANP 7, PTI 6, JUI-F 5, PML-Q 4, BNP-A 3, NPP 1, PML-F 1, other 10, independent 6; 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, independent 25, unfilled seats 7; 60 seats reserved for women, 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims; seats by party as of April 2015 (includes women and non-Muslim seats) - PML-N 188, PPPP 46, PTI 33, MQM 23, JUI-F 13, PML-F 5, other 25, independent 9
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
name: "Qaumi Tarana" (National Anthem) | lyrics/music: Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA | note: adopted 1954; also known as "Pak sarzamin shad bad" (Blessed Be the Sacred Land)
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 on 23 March 1956 during the transition to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
National symbol(s) [time series]
star and crescent, jasmine; national colors: green, white
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. Abdul Hayee BALOCH] | Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M [Sardar Akhtar Jan MENGAL] | Jamaat-i Islami or JI [Sirajul HAQ] | Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP [Talal Akbar BUGTI] | 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] | Tehreek-e-Jafferia Pakistan [Allama Sajid NAQVI] | Muttahida Qaumi Movement or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN] | Pakhtun-khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI] | Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI] | Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F [Pir PAGARO or Syed ShahMardan SHAH-II] | Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N [Nawaz SHARIF] | Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i Azam or PML-Q [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN] | Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI, chairman; Asif Ali ZARDARI, president] | Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN] | Quami Watan Party or QWP [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO] | note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
other: military; 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 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. A constitutional amendment adopted in April 2010 limited many of the president’s executive powers, effectively restoring the parliamentary system. Following parliamentary elections in May 2013 in which Nawaz SHARIF’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party won a majority of seats, Pakistan witnessed its first peaceful transition from one democratically elected government to another.
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 Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2015)
Military expenditures [time series]
3.5% of GDP (2013) | 3.5% of GDP (2012) | 3.2% of GDP (2011) | country comparison to the world: 21
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: 32.65% (male 33,396,847/female 31,611,641) | 15-24 years: 21.44% (male 22,016,207/female 20,673,562) | 25-54 years: 36.28% (male 37,526,930/female 34,701,271) | 55-64 years: 5.28% (male 5,254,347/female 5,253,526) | 65 years and over: 4.35% (male 4,036,727/female 4,614,789) (2015 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
22.58 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71
Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]
31.6% (2013) | country comparison to the world: 11
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
35.4% (2012/13)
Death rate [time series]
6.49 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146
Dependency ratios [time series]
total dependency ratio: 65.3% | youth dependency ratio: 57.9% | elderly dependency ratio: 7.4% | potential support ratio: 13.5% (2015 est.)
Drinking water source [time series]
urban: 93.9% of population | rural: 89.9% of population | total: 91.4% of population | urban: 6.1% of population | rural: 10.1% of population | total: 8.6% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
2.5% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 164
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]
0.07% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
2,200 (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
68,000 (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 51
Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]
2.8% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 183
Hospital bed density [time series]
0.6 beds/1,000 population (2012)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 55.67 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 58.84 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 52.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25
Languages [time series]
Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashto (alternate name, 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: 67.39 years | male: 65.47 years | female: 69.4 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 57.9% | male: 69.5% | female: 45.8% (2015 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 16.618 million; Lahore 8.741 million; Faisalabad 3.567 million; Rawalpindi 2.506 million; Multan 1.921 million; ISLAMABAD (capital) 1.365 million (2015)
Median age [time series]
total: 22.6 years | male: 22.6 years | female: 22.6 years (2014 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Pakistani(s) | adjective: Pakistani
Net migration rate [time series]
-1.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
4.8% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 153
Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]
0.83 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
Population [time series]
199,085,847 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 7
Population growth rate [time series]
1.46% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80
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]
urban: 83.1% of population | rural: 51.1% of population | total: 63.5% of population | urban: 16.9% of population | rural: 48.9% of population | total: 36.5% of population (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]
total: 8 years | male: 8 years | female: 7 years (2013)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.08 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female | total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
2.75 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]
total: 7.7% | male: 7% | female: 10.5% (2008 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 38.8% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 2.81% 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; since 2002, with UN assistance, Pakistan has repatriated 3.8 million Afghan refugees, leaving about 2.6 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; 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): 3 million (1.6 million registered, 1.4 million undocumented) (Afghanistan) (2015) | IDPs: more than 1.8 million (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 (FATA) and Khyber-Paktunkwa Province; more than one million displaced in Northern Waziristan in 2014; individuals also have been displaced by repeated monsoon floods) (2015)
Trafficking in persons [time series]
current situation: Pakistan is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the country’s deteriorating security situation and weak economy have dominated the government’s resources and attention; the largest human trafficking problem is bonded labor in agriculture, brickmaking and, to a lesser extent, mining and carpet-making; children are bought, sold, rented, and placed in forced begging rings, domestic service, small shops, brick kilns, or prostitution; militant groups also force children to spy, fight, or die as suicide bombers, kidnapping the children or getting them from poor parents through sale or coercion; women and girls are forced into prostitution or marriages; Pakistani adults migrate to the Gulf States and African and European states for low-skilled jobs and sometimes become victims of forced labor, debt bondage, or prostitution; foreign adults and children from Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tanzania, and Bangladesh may be subject to forced labor, and foreign women may be sex trafficked in Pakistan, with refugees and minorities being most vulnerable | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Pakistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; officials continue to focus on trafficking as a transnational problem and lack the political will to address the issue unless pressured by the media and activists; the government does not prohibit and penalize all forms of trafficking and has not submitted a draft anti-trafficking bill to the National Assembly or Senate; authorities have yet to convict any offenders under the Bonded Labor System Act since it came into force in 1992; trafficking and smuggling continue to be conflated, with trafficking victims often prosecuted for prostitution or other crimes committed as a result of trafficking; Pakistan does not have systematic methods for identifying trafficking victims among vulnerable population and referring them to protective services (2014)
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 | 24 (2013)
Heliports [time series]
23 (2013)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 11 | 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) | country comparison to the world: 111
Pipelines [time series]
gas 12,646 km; oil 2,576 km; refined products 1,087 km (2013)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
major seaport(s): Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim | container port(s) (TEUs): Karachi (1,545,434) | LNG terminal(s) (import): Port Qasim
Railways [time series]
total: 7,789 km | broad gauge: 7,477 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified) | narrow gauge: 312 km 1.000-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 27
Roadways [time series]
total: 262,256 km | paved: 189,218 km (includes 708 km of expressways) | unpaved: 73,038 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 20