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.

Area
Total: 796,095 km²
Land: 770,875 km²
Water: 25,220 km²
Comparative: slightly more than five times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of California

Land boundaries
Total: 7,257 km
Border countries (4): (4) Afghanistan 2,670 km; China 438 km; India 3,190 km; Iran 959 km

Coastline: 1,046 km

Maritime claims
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

Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

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

Elevation
Highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m
Lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 900 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 46.7% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 39.3% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 6.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 4.1% (2023 est.)
Other: 49.2% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 194,200 km² (2022)

Major rivers: 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

Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

Geography
Note: controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and India

Population
Total: 252,363,571 (2024 est.)
Male: 128,387,797
Female: 123,975,774
Distribution: the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated
Growth rate: 1.86% (2024 est.)

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%
Major-language sample(s): ; دنیا کا قاموس، ایک لازمی زریہ بنیادی معلومات کا (Urdu); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Note: data represent population by mother tongue; English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries)

Religions: Islam (official) 96.5% (Sunni 85-90%, Shia 10-15%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3.5% (2020 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 34.4% (male 44,330,669/female 42,529,007)
15-64 years: 60.7% (male 78,321,834/female 74,833,003)
65 years and over: 4.9% (2024 est.) (male 5,735,294/female 6,613,764)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 64.8 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 56.7 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.1 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 12.4 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 22.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 22.8 years
Female: 23 years

Population growth rate: 1.86% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 25.5 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated

Urbanization
Urban population: 38% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 155 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 51.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 56 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 46.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.3 years (2024 est.)
Male: 68.2 years
Female: 72.5 years

Total fertility rate: 3.32 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 7.1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 10.7% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 9.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 9.5% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 23.9% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 18.5% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 23.1% (2018 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 5.5% (2024 est.); 5.5% (2023 est.); 5.5% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Islamabad
Geographic coordinates: 33 41 N, 73 03 E
Time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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'

Administrative divisions: 4 provinces, 2 Pakistan-administered areas*, and 1 capital territory**; Azad Kashmir*, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh

Legal system: common law system with Islamic law influence

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Asif Ali ZARDARI (since 10 March 2024)
Head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz SHARIF (since 3 March 2024)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
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
Most recent election date: 9 March 2024
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
2018: Arif ALVI elected president; Electoral College vote - Arif ALVI (PTI) 352, Fazl-ur-REHMAN (MMA) 184, Aitzaz AHSAN (PPP) 124; Imran KHAN elected prime minister; National Assembly vote - Imran KHAN (PTI) 176, Shehbaz SHARIF (PML-N) 96
Expected date of next election: 2,029

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament (Majlis-E-Shoora)
Legislative structure: bicameral
Note: in May 2018, the Parliament of Pakistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passed a constitutional amendment to merge the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; the amendment reduces the Senate from 104 to 96 members - 4 in the 2024 election and 4 in the 2,027 election

Flag description: green with a vertical white band on the left side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field

National anthem
Title: 'Qaumi Tarana' (National Anthem)
Lyrics/music: Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA
History: adopted 1954; also known as 'Pak sarzamin shad bad' (Blessed Be the Sacred Land)

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 6 (all cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 3.2% (2024 est.); 0% (2023 est.); 4.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 3.2% (2024 est.); 0% (2023 est.); 4.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 85.2% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 8.5% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 11.2% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.7% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 10.4% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -17.1% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23.5% (2024 est.)
Industry: 20% (2024 est.)
Services: 50.5% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp

Industrial production growth rate: -1.7% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 83.644 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 5.5% (2024 est.); 5.5% (2023 est.); 5.5% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 5.5% (2024 est.); 5.5% (2023 est.); 5.5% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $40.774 billion (2015 est.)
Expenditures: $49.558 billion (2015 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Exports: $40.219 billion (2024 est.); $36.215 billion (2023 est.); $38.967 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: garments, fabric, refined petroleum, rice, cotton fabric (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $66.844 billion (2024 est.); $58.069 billion (2023 est.); $76.594 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: natural gas, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, palm oil, plastics (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 43.512 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 145.357 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 481.25 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 25.811 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 95% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 100%
Access electrification - rural areas: 93%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 60.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 14.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 3.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 13.765 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 30.191 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 900 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 16.185 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 2.857 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 91,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 645,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 540 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 27.476 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 36.323 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 8.847 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 592.219 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 212.655 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 59.937 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 93.713 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 59.006 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 14.076 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2.573 million (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 189 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 82 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 27% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 3.36 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (2024 est.); 3% of GDP (2023 est.); 4% of GDP (2022 est.); 4% of GDP (2021 est.); 4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 117 (2025)

Heliports: 48 (2025)

Railways
Total: 11,881 km (2021)
Narrow gauge: 389 km (2021) 1.000-m gauge
Broad gauge: 11,492 km (2021) 1.676-m gauge (286 km electrified)

Merchant marine
Total: 60 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 5, oil tanker 9, other 46