How is Pakistan’s population divided by religion? The answer comes from the country’s 2023 census — Pakistan’s seventh, and its first conducted digitally — whose religion tables were released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in July 2024. This guide breaks down every group, province by province, with the 2017 comparison. For the full picture of the Muslim majority, see our pillar guide to the Muslim population in Pakistan.
Quick answer: Per the 2023 census, Pakistan’s population by religion is: Muslims 96.35% (231.7 million), Hindus 1.61% (3.87 million), Christians 1.37% (3.30 million), Ahmadis 0.07% (162,684), and others — Sikhs, Parsis, Kalash, Buddhists and Bahá’ís — 0.59%. The Muslim share eased from 96.47% in 2017, while Christians were the fastest-growing major group.
In this guide:
- National Breakdown: Every Religion
- Religion by Province
- 2017 vs 2023: What Changed
- Minority Trends Worth Knowing
- FAQs
National Breakdown: Every Religion
The census asked the religion of 240.46 million respondents (99.57% of the 241.5 million total population). The results, published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics:
- Islam — 231,686,709 (96.35%): the overwhelming majority, and Islam is the state religion under Article 2 of the 1973 Constitution.
- Hinduism — 3,867,729 (1.61%): Pakistan’s largest minority, up from about 3.5 million in 2017, and concentrated overwhelmingly in Sindh.
- Christianity — 3,300,788 (1.37%): up from 2.64 million in 2017 — the fastest growth rate of any major group. Roughly three-quarters live in Punjab.
- Ahmadiyya — 162,684 (0.07%): down from 191,737 (0.09%) in 2017. The Constitution’s Second Amendment (1974) declares Ahmadis non-Muslims, and they are enumerated separately.
- Others — 1,424,181 (0.59%): including around 16,000 Sikhs, some 2,300 Parsis (Zoroastrians), the Kalash of Chitral, Buddhists, Bahá’ís and others.
One quotable fact: Christians grew by roughly 660,000 people between censuses — a 25% increase — the sharpest rise of any group (PBS, 2023 census religion tables).
Religion by Province
Religion in Pakistan has a strong geography. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (99.62% Muslim) and Balochistan (99.09%) are the most uniformly Muslim provinces, while Sindh — at 90.09% Muslim — is by far the most religiously diverse, home to the great majority of the country’s Hindus. Punjab, with 97.75% Muslims, holds the bulk of the Christian population (about 2.46 million). The Constitution guarantees religious freedom for all these communities, even as Islam holds the position of state religion.
2017 vs 2023: What Changed
The headline shifts between the two most recent censuses:
- Muslims: 96.47% → 96.35% (but +31.3 million people in absolute terms — the share fell only because minorities grew faster)
- Hindus: 1.73% → 1.61% (population up ~3.5M → 3.87M, share down)
- Christians: 1.27% → 1.37% (population up 2.64M → 3.30M, share up — the only major group to gain share)
- Ahmadis: 0.09% → 0.07% (population down by about 29,000)
The pattern is demographic, not ideological: different birth and growth rates move the shares around a stable core.
Minority Trends Worth Knowing
Three trends stand out for anyone studying Pakistan’s religious demography. First, the Christian population’s rapid growth — up a quarter in six years — has reopened debate about whether official figures undercount the community; church leaders have publicly argued the real number is higher. Second, Hindus remain Pakistan’s largest minority for the third consecutive census, and their absolute numbers keep rising even as their share eases. Third, the Ahmadi decline in both absolute and percentage terms is unique among the groups — every other community grew in numbers. For the percentage view of the same data, see Pakistan religion percentage explained.
FAQs
Which is the largest minority religion in Pakistan?
Hinduism, at 1.61% of the population (3.87 million people) in the 2023 census — the largest non-Muslim community for the third census in a row, concentrated overwhelmingly in Sindh.
How many Christians live in Pakistan?
The 2023 census counted 3,300,788 Christians (1.37% of the population), up from 2.64 million in 2017. About three-quarters live in Punjab. Church leaders argue the true figure is higher.
How many Hindus live in Pakistan?
The 2023 census counted 3,867,729 Hindus (1.61%), up from about 3.5 million in 2017. The great majority live in Sindh, particularly the Tharparkar, Umerkot and Mirpurkhas districts.
How many Ahmadis are in Pakistan?
The 2023 census counted 162,684 Ahmadis (0.07%), down from 191,737 (0.09%) in 2017. They are enumerated separately and declared non-Muslims under the Constitution’s Second Amendment.
Related Guides
- Muslim Population in Pakistan — the full pillar guide: 231.7 million Muslims, Sunni–Shia split, province shares
- Pakistan Religion Percentage — the percentages explained, and why sources sometimes differ
- Constitution of Pakistan 1973 — Article 2 on Islam as the state religion, fundamental rights for minorities
- The Objective Resolution Explained — the preamble’s promise of religious freedom for all citizens
