|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pakistan has an
estimated population
of 165,803,560, as
of April 2006.
Pakistan has the
world's sixth
largest population,
placing it higher
than Russia, and
lower than Brazil.
Because of
Pakistan's high
growth rate, it is
expected to surpass
Brazil in population
in the year 2020.
Population
projections for
Pakistan are
relatively difficult
because of the
apparent differences
in the accuracy of
each census and the
inconsistencies
between various
surveys related to
fertility rate, but
it is likely that
the rate of growth
peaked in 1980s. The
population was
estimated at
162,400,000 on July
1, 2005, with a
fertility rate of 34
per thousand, a
death rate of 10 per
thousand, and the
rate of natural
increase at 2.4%.
Pakistan also has a
high infant
mortality rate of 70
per thousand births.
Urdu is the national
language and lingua
franca of Pakistan,
and English is the
official language
used in the
Constitution and
widely used by
corporate
businesses, the
educated urban
elite, and most
universities.
Punjabi is spoken by
over 60 million
people, but has no
official recognition
in the country. The
large majority of
Pakistanis belong to
the Indo-Aryan
ethnic group
although there are a
substantial number
of Iranic peoples
and smaller numbers
of Dravidians. These
major ethnic groups
are further broken
down into several
smaller ethnic
groups - Punjabis
(44.68)% of the
population, Pashtuns
(15.42%), Sindhis
(14.1%), Seraikis
(10.53%), Muhajirs
(7.57%), Balochis
(3.57%) and others
(4.66%) such as
Tajiks, Bengalis and
many others.
The demographics of
religion in Pakistan
were significantly
influenced in 1947
by the movement of
Muslims to Pakistan,
and Hindus and Sikhs
to India. Census
data indicates that
96% of the
population are
Muslims, of whom
nearly 80% are Sunni
Muslims and 19% are
Shi'a Muslims.
Pakistan has the
second highest Shia
population in the
world, after Iran.
The remainder
comprises of
Christians, Hindus,
Jews, Sikhs, Parsis,
Ahmadis, and
Animists (mainly the
Kalasha of Chitral).
A few Buddhists are
included in
Pakistani
statistics; however,
these live in Indian
administered Ladakh
which Pakistan
claims along with
the rest of Kashmir.
As of 2005, over
three million
refugees
(approximately 81.5%
being ethnic
Pashtuns [citation
needed]) remain in
Pakistan as a result
of the wars in
Afghanistan, with
83% of these
refugees reporting
their intent to
permanently settle
in Pakistan. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
