Country Fast Facts:Pakistan

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently 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 separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis 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. The dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures have led to decreased tensions since 2002.

Mounting public dissatisfaction with President MUSHARRAF, coupled with the assassination of the prominent and popular political leader, Benazir BHUTTO, in late 2007, and MUSHARRAF's resignation in August 2008, led to the September presidential election of Asif ZARDARI, BHUTTO's widower.

Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control Islamist militants, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. The November 2008 Mumbai attacks again inflamed Indo-Pakistan relations. The Pakistani Government is also faced with a deteriorating economy as foreign exchange reserves decline, the currency depreciates, and the current account deficit widens.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population:
176,242,949 (July 2009 est.)

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Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.2% (male 33,739,547/female 31,868,065)
15-64 years: 58.6% (male 52,849,607/female 50,378,198)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 3,475,927/female 3,931,605) (2009 est.)

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Median age:
total: 20.8 years
male: 20.6 years
female: 21 years (2008 est.)

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Population growth rate:
1.947% (2009 est.)

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Birth rate:
28.35 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

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Death rate:
7.85 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

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Net migration rate:
-0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

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Urbanization:
urban population: 36% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3% annual rate of change (2005-2010)

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Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

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Infant mortality rate:
total: 65.14 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 65.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 65.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.49 years
male: 63.4 years
female: 65.64 years (2009 est.)

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Total fertility rate:
3.6 children born/woman (2009 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
96,000 (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
5,100 (2007 est.)

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Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

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Nationality:
noun: Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani

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Ethnic groups:
Punjabi 44.68%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.38%, Muhagirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28%

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Religions:
Muslim 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 5%

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Languages:
Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski and other 8%

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Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 49.9%
male: 63%
female: 36% (2005 est.)

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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 7 years
male: 7 years
female: 6 years (2006)

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Education expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2006)

Pakistan, an impoverished and underdeveloped country, has suffered from decades of internal political disputes, low levels of foreign investment, and declining exports of manufactures.

Faced with untenable budgetary deficits, high inflation, and hemorrhaging foreign exchange reserves, the government agreed to an International Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in November 2008. Between 2004-07, GDP growth in the 6-8% range was spurred by gains in the industrial and service sectors, despite severe electricity shortfalls.

Poverty levels decreased by 10% since 2001, and Islamabad steadily raised development spending in recent years. In 2008 the fiscal deficit - a result of chronically low tax collection and increased spending - exceeded Islamabad's target of 4% of GDP.

Inflation remains the top concern among the public, jumping from 7.7% in 2007 to 24.4% in 2008, primarily because of rising world fuel and commodity prices.

In addition, the Pakistani rupee has depreciated significantly as a result of political and economic instability.

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GDP (purchasing power parity):
$452.7 billion (2008 est.)
$427.9 billion (2007)
$404.5 billion (2006)

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GDP (official exchange rate):
$160.9 billion (2008 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate:
5.8% (2008 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,600 (2008 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20.4%
industry: 26.6%
services: 53% (2008 est.)

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Labor force:
50.58 million
note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2008 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 43%
industry: 20.3%
services: 36.6% (2005 est.)

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Unemployment rate:
7.4% plus substantial underemployment (2008 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4%
highest 10%: 26.3% (2002)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30.6 (FY07/08)

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Investment (gross fixed):
20% of GDP (2008 est.)

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Budget:
revenues: $22.14 billion
expenditures: $32.09 billion (2008 est.)

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Public debt:
49.8% of GDP (2008 est.)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
20.8% (2008 est.)

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Central bank discount rate:
15% (31 November 2008)

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Stock of money:
$52.76 billion (31 December 2007)

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Stock of quasi money:
$18.42 billion (31 December 2007)

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Stock of domestic credit:
$65.05 billion (31 December 2007)

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Market value of publicly traded shares:
$70.26 billion (31 December 2007)

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Agriculture - products:
cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs

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Industries:
textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp

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Industrial production growth rate:
4.6% (2008 est.)

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Electricity - production:
93.26 billion kWh (2007 est.)

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Electricity - consumption:
68.4 billion kWh (2006 est.)

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Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)

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Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)

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Oil - production:
68,670 bbl/day (2007 est.)

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Oil - consumption:
345,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

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Oil - exports:
28,060 bbl/day (2005)

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Oil - imports:
290,600 bbl/day (2005)

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Oil - proved reserves:
289.2 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

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Natural gas - production:
30.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption:
30.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)

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Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)

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Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)

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Natural gas - proved reserves:
792.8 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

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Current account balance:
-$10.57 billion (2008 est.)

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Exports:
$20.62 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

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Exports - commodities:
textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs

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Exports - partners:
US 18%, UAE 10.4%, Afghanistan 8.4%, China 5.2%, UK 4.7% (2007)

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Imports:
$35.38 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

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Imports - commodities:
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea

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Imports - partners:
China 16.2%, Saudi Arabia 10.9%, UAE 10.1%, US 5.7%, Kuwait 4.9%, Japan 4.4% (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$9.104 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

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Debt - external:
$43.23 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$25.31 billion (2008 est.)

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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.032 billion (2008 est.)

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Exchange rates:
Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar - 70.64 (2008 est.), 60.6295 (2007), 60.35 (2006), 59.515 (2005), 58.258 (2004)