Cities & Regions

What demographic features distinguish Islamabad from Pakistan’s four provinces?

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Answer

Direct answer

Islamabad Capital Territory is a small federal territory rather than a province, with about 2.28 million residents in the national Census 2023 report. Its PDHS 2017–18 median age at first marriage was 22.7 for women and 27.0 for men, higher than each of the four provincial medians. Yet Census 2023 classified only 46.91% of the territory as urban because its boundary includes rural areas. “Islamabad” must therefore mean the territory, district or city consistently before comparisons are made.

Evidence

Sources used

Official Statistics · 2025

National Census Report 2023

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics

Official census report defining marital-status categories and reporting national and provincial distributions.View source
National Survey · 2019

Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18

National Institute of Population Studies and The DHS Program

National survey evidence for marriage timing, women, households and health indicators.View source
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