01
Physical geography
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.
Local timeIslamabad ·
Asia / Southern Asia · Card 033
Pakistan
Pakistan is a country in Southern Asia. Its capital is Islamabad.
Find Pakistan
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Islamabad
- Languages
- English & Urdu
- Currency
- Pakistani rupee (PKR)
- Population
- 255.2 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 881,912 km²340,508 square miles
- Independence
- 1947from British India
Pakistan in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Islamabad; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include English, Urdu.
03
Location
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north.
Flag
Green with a vertical white band on the left side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field
History & independence
Pakistan was created in 1947 when British India was partitioned. Its eastern wing became Bangladesh following the 1971 war. Pakistan adopted its current constitutional framework in 1973, although periods of military rule interrupted civilian government.
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Independence and partition
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East Pakistan becomes Bangladesh
-
Constitution adopted
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture, textiles, manufacturing and services contribute to the economy. Cotton products are major exports; remittances and imported energy are significant economic factors.
Industry and production
textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people255.22025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 60,166,719 | 60.167 |
| 1980 | 82,291,010 | 82.291 |
| 1990 | 116,155,576 | 116.156 |
| 2000 | 154,879,127 | 154.879 |
| 2010 | 199,239,047 | 199.239 |
| 2020 | 235,001,746 | 235.002 |
| 2025 | 255,219,554 | 255.220 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars426.02025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 110,450,553,630 | 110.451 |
| 1991 | 116,041,083,242 | 116.041 |
| 1992 | 124,983,090,543 | 124.983 |
| 1993 | 127,179,977,940 | 127.180 |
| 1994 | 131,933,222,221 | 131.933 |
| 1995 | 138,480,552,374 | 138.481 |
| 1996 | 145,192,124,912 | 145.192 |
| 1997 | 146,664,948,035 | 146.665 |
| 1998 | 150,405,247,843 | 150.405 |
| 1999 | 155,910,279,561 | 155.910 |
| 2000 | 162,552,194,689 | 162.552 |
| 2001 | 168,487,544,527 | 168.488 |
| 2002 | 172,859,487,444 | 172.859 |
| 2003 | 182,196,165,734 | 182.196 |
| 2004 | 196,464,413,111 | 196.464 |
| 2005 | 210,760,292,372 | 210.760 |
| 2006 | 223,514,741,631 | 223.515 |
| 2007 | 233,449,556,918 | 233.450 |
| 2008 | 238,399,717,139 | 238.400 |
| 2009 | 246,678,267,936 | 246.678 |
| 2010 | 250,382,678,708 | 250.383 |
| 2011 | 257,093,227,080 | 257.093 |
| 2012 | 264,876,940,259 | 264.877 |
| 2013 | 276,443,758,788 | 276.444 |
| 2014 | 287,823,367,553 | 287.823 |
| 2015 | 299,963,590,535 | 299.964 |
| 2016 | 319,682,711,891 | 319.683 |
| 2017 | 333,853,050,598 | 333.853 |
| 2018 | 354,390,697,428 | 354.391 |
| 2019 | 363,242,090,362 | 363.242 |
| 2020 | 358,614,068,499 | 358.614 |
| 2021 | 381,973,779,235 | 381.974 |
| 2022 | 400,224,894,619 | 400.225 |
| 2023 | 398,564,217,462 | 398.564 |
| 2024 | 410,847,021,871 | 410.847 |
| 2025 | 426,041,897,772 | 426.042 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.544Low human developmentRank 168 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.396
20000.436
20100.500
20200.536
20230.544
67.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth
4.3 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Federal parliamentary republic. Parliament (Majlis-E-Shoora) has two chambers (a bicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about Pakistan.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which river plain lies in central and eastern Pakistan?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.