Ten major cities’ population up by 74pc

The population of 10 major cities of the country has increased by 74.4 per cent since 1998, when the last census was conducted, according to the data of recently concluded 6th Population and Housing Census 2017.

The total population of the 10 cities surged to 40,956,232 individuals as per the 2017 census from 23,475,067 registered during the 1998 census, the data revealed. The population of Karachi, according to the latest census, is 14,910,352 against 9,339,023 registered in 1998, showing a growth of 59.65 per cent growth.

The population of Lahore city increased by 116 per cent from 5143,495 to 11126,285 while Faisalabad’s population increased from 2008,861 to 3203,846, showing a growth of 59.4 per cent. Similarly, the population of Rawalpindi grew by 48.8% from 1,409,768 to 2,098,231, Gujranwala by 78% from 1,132,509 to 2,027,001, and Peshawar by 100% from 982,816 to 1,970,042.

Likewise, the population of Hyderabad city increased from 1,166,894 to 1,732,693, showing 48.4 per cent growth, Islamabad from 529,180 to 1,014,825, showing 91.7 per cent growth, and Quetta from 565,137 to 1,001,205, showing 77.1 per cent growth.

However, the population of Multan city declined by 56 per cent to 1,197,384 according to the recent census from 1,871,843 in 1998.

It is pertinent to mention here that the country’s current total population has soared to over 207.744 million with an average annual growth rate of 2.4 per cent from the calendar year 1998.

According to provisional summary results of the census which were presented in the Council of Common Interests on Friday, the population number included 132,189,531 rural and 75,584,989 urban population, showing an overall population growth at 57 per cent during the period 1998-2017.

The figures recorded in the census also showed 2.23 per cent growth in rural areas and 2.7 per cent in urban areas during these years as the male population of the country at present stands at 106,449,322 with the female population at 101,314,780, and the population of transgender at 10,418.