With 180.1 million residents reported in 2012, Pakistan is the sixth most populated country in the world, behind Brazil and ahead of Bangladesh. Its 2.03% population growth rate is the highest among the SAARC countries and gives an annual increase of 3.6 million. The population is projected to reach 210.13 million by 2020 and to double by 2045. In 1947, Pakistan had a population of 32.5 million.[178][222] From 1990 to 2009 it increased by 57.2%.[223] By 2030 it is expected to surpass Indonesia as the largest Muslim-majority country in the world.[224][225] Pakistan is a 'young' nation, with a median age of about 22 and 104 million people under 30 in 2010. Pakistan's fertility rate stands at 3.07, higher than its neighbours India(2.57) andIran(1.73). Around 35% of the people are under 15[178]
The majority of southern Pakistan's population lives along the Indus River. Karachi is its most populous city.[226] In the northern half of the country, most of the population lives in an arc formed by the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad,Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Nowshera, Mardan andPeshawar. During 1990–2008, city dwellers made up 36% of Pakistan's population, making it the most urbanised nation in South Asia.[73][178] Furthermore, 50% of Pakistanis live in towns of 5,000 people or more.[227]
Expenditure on health was 2.6% of GDP in 2009.[228] Life expectancy at birth was 65.4 years for females and 63.6 years for males in 2010. The private sector accounts for about 80% of outpatient visits. Approximately 19% of the population and 30% of children under five are malnourished.[165] Mortality of the under-fives was 87 per 1,000 live births in 2009.[228] About 20% of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.[229]
More than sixty languages are spoken in Pakistan, including a number of provincial languages. Urdu, the lingua franca and a symbol of Muslim identity and national unity, is the national language and is understood by over 75% of Pakistanis.[137][230]English is the official language of Pakistan, used in official business, government, and legal contracts;[73] the local dialect is known as Pakistani English. Punjabi is the most common native language in Punjab and has many native speakers. Saraiki is mainly spoken in South Punjab. Pashto is the provincial language of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindhi is the provincial language of Sindh, and Balochi is dominant in Balochistan.[4][35][231]
Pakistan's census does not include immigrant groups such as the 1.7 million registered refugees from neighbouring Afghanistan, who are found mainly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA areas, with small numbers in Karachi and Quetta.[232][233] As of 1995, there were more than 1.6 million Bengalis, 650,000 Afghans, 200,000 Burmese, 2,320 Iranians and Filipinos and hundreds of Nepalese, Sri Lankans and Indians living in Karachi.[234][235] Pakistan hosts more refugees than any other country in the world.[236]
The population comprises several ethnic groups. As of 2009, the Punjabi population dominates with 78.7 million (44.15%), followed by 27.2 million (15.42%) Pashtuns, 24.8 million (14.1%) Sindhis, 14.8 million (10.53%) Seraikis, 13.3 million (7.57%) Muhajirs and 6.3 million (3.57%) Balochs. The remaining 11.1 million (4.66%) belong to various ethnic minorities.[237] There is also a large worldwidePakistani diaspora, numbering over seven million.[238]
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