Factbook dossier
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.
Location
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
Area
total : 796,095 sq km land: 770,875 sq km water: 25,220 sq km
Natural resources
arable land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Natural hazards
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)
Population
total: 257,047,044 (2025 est.) male: 130,727,015 female: 126,320,029
Ethnic groups
Punjabi 44.7%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.4%, Sindhi 14.1%, Saraiki 8.4%, Muhajirs 7.6%, Baloch 3.6%, other 6.3%
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
Muslim 96.4%, Hindu 1.6%, Christian 1.4%; less than 1%: scheduled castes, Qadiani/Ahmadi, other, Sikh. (2020 est.)
Environmental issues
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; air pollution and noise pollution in urban areas
Government type
federal parliamentary republic
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"
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 election results: 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 expected date of next election: 2029
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parliament (Majlis-E-Shoora) legislative structure: bicameral
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.39 trillion (2024 est.) $1.346 trillion (2023 est.) $1.347 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$5,500 (2024 est.) $5,400 (2023 est.) $5,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
12.6% (2024 est.) 30.8% (2023 est.) 19.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
USA 14%, UAE 10%, China 9%, Germany 7%, UK 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 25%, Qatar 11%, UAE 9%, Saudi Arabia 8%, Indonesia 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Pakistan Armed Forces: Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes Pakistan Marines, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force Ministry of Interior: Frontier Constabulary, Frontier Corps, National Police, Pakistan Coast Guard, Punjab (Pakistan) Rangers, Sindh (Pakistan) Rangers (2025) note: the National Guard is a paramilitary force and one of the Army's reserve forces; other Army reserves include the Pakistan Army Reserve, the Frontier Corps, and the Pakistan Rangers
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.)