Islamabad Population: The Complete 2023 Census Guide
How many people live in Pakistan’s capital? The official 2023 census numbers, six decades of growth, and the city-vs-territory figures everyone confuses.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
The Essentials
Key Facts at a Glance
Islamabad’s population in thirty seconds — all figures from the 2023 census.
Deep Dives
Population Guides
The detailed breakdowns behind the headline numbers.
Islamabad Population Explained
Census history, growth drivers and what the numbers mean for the capital’s future. Read the guide →
Total Population of Islamabad
The definitive total — ICT, city and metropolitan figures side by side with sources. See the totals →
Official Data
2023 Census: The Official Numbers
From the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’ District Census Report 2023 for Islamabad.
| Census Year | ICT Population | Intercensal Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 118,000 | — |
| 1972 | 238,000 | +101.7% |
| 1981 | 340,000 | +43.3% |
| 1998 | 805,000 | +136.8% |
| 2017 | 2,003,368 | +148.9% |
| 2023 | 2,363,863 | +18.0% |
The 2023 figure — 2,363,863 people — represents an addition of about 360,000 residents in just six years, the shortest intercensal gap in the territory’s history. The annual growth rate for 2017–2023 was 2.8%, and the cumulative increase since the first census in 1961 stands at an extraordinary 1,903%.
The city proper — the area under the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation — counted 1,108,872 residents in 2023, making Islamabad the country’s 10th most populous city, behind Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Multan, Hyderabad and Quetta.
Clarified
City vs Territory vs Twin Cities
Three different “Islamabad populations” — here’s which is which.
The City
Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation: 1,108,872 (2023). The urban core — sectors, Margalla Town, the planned city proper.
The Territory
Islamabad Capital Territory: 2,363,863 (2023). City plus rural areas, villages and expanding suburbs across 906.5 km².
The Twin Cities
Islamabad + Rawalpindi metropolitan area: over 5.7 million. The two cities function as one urban economy.
History
Six Decades of Growth
From 118,000 people in 1961 to 2.36 million — how the capital filled up.
Islamabad was a planned city, constructed in the 1960s and formally established on 14 August 1967, replacing Karachi as Pakistan’s capital. The first census in 1961 found just 118,000 people in the territory. Growth exploded between 1981 and 2017 — the population nearly sextupled as government jobs, universities, the private sector and relative security drew migrants from across Pakistan.
The 2017–2023 period added another 360,000 people despite being only six years. Drivers include continued internal migration, the expansion of housing societies into formerly rural ICT areas, and the capital’s pull as an education and employment hub. The PBS notes Islamabad “received major influence from other cities” — bureaucratic language for one of Pakistan’s great internal migrations.
Urban Form
Density and Urbanisation
A planned city getting denser — but still Pakistan’s greenest capital.
The city’s 220.15 km² hold 1.11 million people — a density of 5,037 per km². The wider territory’s 906.5 km² average 2,608 per km². By Pakistani standards Islamabad remains spacious: Karachi’s density is several times higher. But the trend is unmistakable — apartment blocks replacing single-storey homes, and housing societies pushing into the Margalla foothills.
Known as “Isloo” and “The Green City”, Islamabad’s sector grid, Margalla Hills National Park and tree-lined avenues are the product of its planned origins — Greek architect Constantinos Doxiadis drew the master plan. Whether the plan survives the next million residents is the capital’s defining question.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions people ask most about Islamabad’s population — answered.
What is the population of Islamabad in 2023?
2,363,863 for the Islamabad Capital Territory (2.36 million), per the 2023 census. The city proper counted 1,108,872.
What is the total population of Islamabad?
It depends on the definition: 1.11 million (city), 2.36 million (Capital Territory), or over 5.7 million (twin-cities metro with Rawalpindi).
What is Islamabad’s population growth rate?
2.8% per year between the 2017 and 2023 censuses — an 18% increase over six years, adding roughly 360,000 people.
Is Islamabad the largest city in Pakistan?
No — it ranks 10th. Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi are all larger, among others.
How has Islamabad’s population changed since 1961?
From 118,000 in 1961 to 2,363,863 in 2023 — a cumulative increase of about 1,903% over six decades.
When did Islamabad become the capital?
Islamabad was constructed in the 1960s as a planned city, formally established on 14 August 1967, replacing Karachi as Pakistan’s national capital.
Explore Pakistan’s Geography
Population guides, city profiles and regional deep-dives — in Feature Pakistan’s Geography section.
Feature Pakistan’s Pakistan Guides explain the country’s places and people in plain language — written for students, researchers and curious readers. Population figures are from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’ 2023 census publications.