PBS conducts first digital census: Around 7.8pc of total population unemployed

ISLAMABAD: Around 7.8 percent (187,359,79 population) of the total population (241,499,431) of the country is unemployed.

This was revealed in updated detailed results of 7th population and housing census 2023 – first-ever digital census undertaken by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and uploaded on its website.

The unemployment in the country among working population (171,714,532) was estimated at around 11 percent.

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The PBS officials told Business Recorder that after the launch of key findings in July 2024, detailed tables up to district level (19) were recently uploaded on the website out of a total of 30 tables.

Thirteen tables (13) related to population, literacy, mother tongue, religion, out of school, age sex distribution of population, disability and functional limitation and six tables (6) regarding housing, type of housing structure, type of households, main source of lighting, cooking, drinking water, toilet, number of rooms, and ownership status.

However, remaining 11 tables were on employment, migration, urban localities (pop & housing), rural localities, mouza wise population & housing, type of structures were uploaded afterwards. Among the working population 66,224,342 are employed, 23,157,355 paid employees, 11,180,092 own account (agriculture), 13,094,997 own account (non-agriculture), 3,738,577 employers, 9,786,839 unpaid helper (agri), 5,266,482 unpaid helper (non-agri), 18,735,979 unemployed and 18,160,400not in the labour force and students (15 to 24).

The data further shows that 6,480,318 in the age group of 25-40 are unemployed, 6,197,628 in 15-24 and 3,372,637 in 41-60 age group.

Pakistan’s total population reached 241.4 million with average annual growth rate of 2.55 percent. Male population stands at 51.48 percent while female at 48.51 percent, while urban population stood at 39 percent and rural 61 percent.

Literacy rate stands at 61 percent with 68 percent among male and 54 percent among female. And 25.37 million i.e. 35.60 percent children (5-16 year) are out of school.

The data further shows that migration of population stands at 13,081,323 i.e. around 5.4 percent. Intra provincial migration stood at 8,555,730, Inter provincial migration at 4,036,965 and migration from abroad at 488,628.

Reasons for migration include 2,594,682 for jobs/business, 525,375 for education, 2,566,204 for marriage, 5,661,895 with family and 46,210 back to home.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025