SOUTHERN ASIA

Pakistan

Islamabad · pop. 241M · English, Urdu · Pakistani rupee

hunger

10.6 million people in crisis or worse

20% of the 53.4 million analysed · IPC, Mar 2026

conflict

32 events · 123 killed · 7 civilians

Aug 25–31, the latest week from UCDP

Trajectories

economic complexity

#89

Climbing the complexity rankings, from #98 in 1995.

2024 · −0.23

Harvard Growth Lab · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers30

when	value	change
1995	−0.56
1996	−0.59	−0.03 pts
1997	−0.47	+0.13 pts
1998	−0.53	−0.06 pts
1999	−0.49	+0.03 pts
2000	−0.52	−0.03 pts
2001	−0.44	+0.08 pts
2002	−0.46	−0.02 pts
2003	−0.48	−0.02 pts
2004	−0.44	+0.04 pts
2005	−0.32	+0.12 pts
2006	−0.29	+0.03 pts
2007	−0.35	−0.07 pts
2008	−0.27	+0.08 pts
2009	−0.41	−0.14 pts
2010	−0.50	−0.09 pts
2011low	−0.61	−0.11 pts
2012	−0.48	+0.14 pts
2013	−0.51	−0.03 pts
2014	−0.44	+0.08 pts
2015	−0.48	−0.04 pts
2016	−0.49	−0.01 pts
2017	−0.45	+0.04 pts
2018	−0.45	+0.01 pts
2019	−0.50	−0.05 pts
2020	−0.43	+0.07 pts
2021	−0.42	+0.01 pts
2022	−0.40	+0.02 pts
2023	−0.39	+0.01 pts
2024latest	−0.23	+0.16 pts

economic momentum

$1,479

Roughly doubled since 2000. GDP per head in 2024, in current US dollars.

2024 · $1,479

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers35

when	value	change
1990low	$344
1991	$380	+10.3%
1992	$396	+4.1%
1993	$408	+3.1%
1994	$400	−1.9%
1995	$451	+12.6%
1996	$457	+1.4%
1997	$438	−4.2%
1998	$424	−3.1%
1999	$418	−1.5%
2000	$642	+53.6%
2001	$610	−5.0%
2002	$600	−1.6%
2003	$672	+12.1%
2004	$772	+14.8%
2005	$828	+7.2%
2006	$901	+8.9%
2007	$998	+10.8%
2008	$1,067	+6.9%
2009	$964	−9.7%
2010	$987	+2.4%
2011	$1,132	+14.6%
2012	$1,204	+6.4%
2013	$1,225	+1.7%
2014	$1,267	+3.4%
2015	$1,380	+9.0%
2016	$1,425	+3.2%
2017	$1,519	+6.6%
2018high	$1,569	+3.3%
2019	$1,390	−11.4%
2020	$1,278	−8.1%
2021	$1,455	+13.8%
2022	$1,538	+5.7%
2023	$1,360	−11.6%
2024latest	$1,479	+8.7%

prices

12.6%

A year’s rise in consumer prices, in 2024. The world’s median was 3.1%.

2024 · 12.6%

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers35

when	value	change
1990	9.1%
1991	11.8%	+2.74 pts
1992	9.5%	−2.28 pts
1993	10.0%	+0.46 pts
1994	12.4%	+2.39 pts
1995	12.3%	−0.02 pts
1996	10.4%	−1.97 pts
1997	11.4%	+1.00 pts
1998	6.2%	−5.15 pts
1999	4.1%	−2.09 pts
2000	4.4%	+0.22 pts
2001	3.1%	−1.22 pts
2002	3.3%	+0.14 pts
2003	2.9%	−0.38 pts
2004	7.4%	+4.53 pts
2005	9.1%	+1.62 pts
2006	7.9%	−1.14 pts
2007	7.6%	−0.32 pts
2008	20.3%	+12.7 pts
2009	13.6%	−6.64 pts
2010	12.9%	−0.71 pts
2011	11.9%	−1.02 pts
2012	9.7%	−2.23 pts
2013	7.7%	−1.99 pts
2014	7.2%	−0.50 pts
2015low	2.5%	−4.66 pts
2016	3.8%	+1.24 pts
2017	4.1%	+0.32 pts
2018	5.1%	+0.99 pts
2019	10.6%	+5.50 pts
2020	9.7%	−0.84 pts
2021	9.5%	−0.24 pts
2022	19.9%	+10.4 pts
2023high	30.8%	+10.9 pts
2024latest	12.6%	−18.1 pts

demographic curve

3.5 children per woman

Above replacement: still growing. Fell from 6.7 in 1980.

2024 · 3.5

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median · rule marks replacement (2.1)

the numbers65

when	value	change
1960	6.8
1961	6.8	0.0%
1962	6.8	0.0%
1963	6.8	0.0%
1964	6.8	0.0%
1965	6.8	0.0%
1966	6.8	0.0%
1967	6.8	0.0%
1968	6.8	0.0%
1969	6.8	0.0%
1970	6.8	0.0%
1971	6.8	0.0%
1972	6.8	0.0%
1973	6.8	0.0%
1974	6.8	0.0%
1975high	6.8	0.0%
1976	6.8	−0.1%
1977	6.8	−0.1%
1978	6.8	−0.2%
1979	6.8	−0.3%
1980	6.7	−0.4%
1981	6.7	−0.4%
1982	6.7	−0.4%
1983	6.6	−0.4%
1984	6.6	−0.4%
1985	6.6	−0.5%
1986	6.6	−0.5%
1987	6.5	−0.5%
1988	6.5	−0.6%
1989	6.4	−0.8%
1990	6.4	−0.9%
1991	6.3	−1.1%
1992	6.2	−1.3%
1993	6.1	−1.5%
1994	6.0	−1.7%
1995	5.9	−1.9%
1996	5.8	−2.1%
1997	5.6	−2.2%
1998	5.5	−2.4%
1999	5.5	−0.8%
2000	5.4	−2.0%
2001	5.2	−3.2%
2002	5.0	−3.3%
2003	4.9	−2.4%
2004	4.7	−4.3%
2005	4.6	−1.9%
2006	4.6	−0.1%
2007	4.6	−0.8%
2008	4.5	−0.9%
2009	4.5	−1.1%
2010	4.4	−1.5%
2011	4.3	−2.1%
2012	4.2	−2.3%
2013	4.1	−1.9%
2014	4.1	−1.7%
2015	4.0	−1.7%
2016	3.9	−2.2%
2017	3.9	−0.1%
2018	3.9	−1.2%
2019	3.8	−1.2%
2020	3.8	−1.2%
2021	3.7	−1.2%
2022	3.7	−1.6%
2023	3.6	−1.6%
2024latest	3.5	−1.6%

Metrics

population

241M

5 of 176

REST Countries · UN data
gdp

$337B

44 of 170

World Bank · latest available
gdp per capita

$1,360

142 of 170

World Bank · latest available
military spending

$9B

28 of 151

SIPRI via World Bank
military % of gdp

2.9%

27 of 148

SIPRI via World Bank
area

796K km²

37 of 176

REST Countries
population density

303 /km²

18 of 176

zuhd — derived from population and area
life expectancy

67.6 yr

132 of 175

World Bank · latest available
internet access

27%

148 of 166

ITU via World Bank
co₂ per capita

0.81 t

120 of 163

World Bank · Climate Watch
urbanisation

39%

136 of 168

World Bank · UN DESA
fertility rate

3.5

39 of 168

World Bank · UN DESA
foreign-born share

1.7%

115 of 167

World Bank · UN DESA
remittances % of gdp

9.4%

27 of 155

World Bank · IMF BOP
r&d % of gdp

0.2%

93 of 123

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
researchers per million

474

73 of 118

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
scientific articles / yr

23K

24 of 168

NSF / World Bank
high-tech exports %

2%

120 of 153

World Bank · UN Comtrade
gini inequality

33.5

57 of 139

World Bank · PovcalNet
youth unemployment

10%

64 of 166

ILO via World Bank
adult literacy

59%

96 of 109

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
democracy (v-dem)

0.18

105 of 163

V-Dem via Our World in Data
clean government

27

123 of 164

Transparency International via Our World in Data
press freedom

46.9

130 of 163

RSF via Our World in Data
human development

0.544

139 of 164

UNDP via Our World in Data
refugees hosted

1.6M

5 of 150

UNHCR via Our World in Data
refugees produced

86K

26 of 152

UNHCR via Our World in Data