Demographics

Population density in Pakistan

Pakistan's estimated population in July 2009 is 174,579,000.. The estimated population of Pakistan is 2008 was 172,800,000, making it the world's sixth most-populous country, behind Brazil and ahead of Russia. By the year 2020, the country's population is expected to reach 208 million, owing to a relatively high growth rate.^[48] About 20 % of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day. Population projections for Pakistan are relatively difficult because of the differences in the accuracy of each census and the inconsistencies between various surveys related to the fertility rate, but it is likely that the rate of growth peaked in the 1980s and has since declined significantly. Pakistan also has a high infant mortality rate of 70 per thousand births.
The majority of southern Pakistan's population lives along the Indus River. By population size, Karachi is the biggest city of Pakistan. In the northern half, most of the population lives about an arc formed by the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sargodha and Sheikhupura. In the past, the country's population had a relatively high growth rate that has, however, been moderated by declining fertility and birth rates. Dramatic social changes have led to rapid urbanization and the emergence of megacities. During 1990-2003, Pakistan sustained its historical lead as the most urbanized nation in South Asia, with city dwellers making up 34% of its population Pakistan has a multicultural and multi-ethnic society and hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world as well as a young population. Approximately 1.7 million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan. Nearly half of this population actually was born and grew up in Pakistan during the last 30 years, so they have never seen Afghanistan.^[54][55] They are not counted in the national census, even the ones born in Pakistan, because they are still considered citizens of Afghanistan. About 8 million Muhajirs—then roughly one-fourth of the country’s population—arrived from India after the independence in 1947.^[56]

Cities by population (2009 estimation)^[57]

Rank	City	Province	Population	Rank	City	Province	Population	view • talk • edit Karachi, Sindh Lahore, Punjab
1	Karachi	Sindh	12,827,927	11	Sargodha	Punjab	586,922
2	Lahore	Punjab	6,936,563	12	Bahawalpur	Punjab	530,438
3	Faisalabad	Punjab	2,793,721	13	Sialkot	Punjab	502,721
4	Rawalpindi	Punjab	1,933,933	14	Sukkur	Sindh	476,776
5	Multan	Punjab	1,566,932	15	Larkana	Sindh	435,817
6	Hyderabad	Sindh	1 536 398	16	Shekhupura	Punjab	411,834
7	Gujranwala	Punjab	1,526,168	17	Jhang	Punjab	365,198
8	Peshawar	North-West Frontier	1,390,874	18	Mardan	North-West Frontier	340,898
9	Quetta	Balochistan	859,973	19	Rahim Yar Khan	Punjab	340,810
10	Islamabad	Islamabad Capital Territory	673,766	20	Gujrat	Punjab	328,512