Lahore Population: The Complete 2026 Guide
13 million and counting — the official census figures, the Karachi controversy settled, and what the city looks like in 2026.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
The Essentials
Lahore’s Population at a Glance
Every key figure from the 2023 census — the most recent official count.
Definitions
City, District, Division: What Do You Mean?
Conflicting “Lahore population” numbers online come from mixing up three different boundaries.
Lahore district / city
The official “population of Lahore”: 13,004,135 (2023 census). The entire district is classified as urban — so the district and the city are effectively the same thing.
Lahore division
The administrative division containing four districts — Lahore, Kasur, Nankana Sahib and Sheikhupura. Headlines about “Lahore overtaking Karachi” were really about the division, not the city.
Metro / 2026 estimate
The built-up urban area plus projections. At 2.65% annual growth, the 2023 figure compounds to roughly 14 million by mid-2026.
Rule of thumb: when a Pakistani source says “Lahore’s population”, it means the district figure — 13.0 million. When an international ranking (like the UN’s world city lists) says “Lahore”, it usually means the urban agglomeration, which comes out slightly higher.
Growth
Population Growth: The Census Record
Lahore has roughly doubled every 20 years since the 1970s.
| Census year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 2,198,890 | — |
| 1981 | 2,988,486 | +35.9% |
| 1998 | 6,340,114 | +112.2% |
| 2017 | 11,119,985 | +75.4% |
| 2023 | 13,004,135 | +16.9% |
The 2023 figure comes from Pakistan’s first-ever digital census, conducted March–May 2023 and approved by the Council of Common Interests on 5 August 2023. The annualised growth rate between 2017 and 2023 was 2.65% — fast by global standards, but slower than Karachi’s 4.05% in the same period.
Demographics
Who Lives in Lahore
A young, fast-urbanising city with one of Pakistan’s highest literacy rates.
Gender split
52.9% male, 47.1% female, 3,376 transgender persons — a sex ratio of about 112 males per 100 females.
Literacy: 79.6%
Among the highest in Pakistan — 81.4% for males, 77.6% for females (population aged 10+).
Languages
Punjabi is the mother tongue of 9.55 million residents; Urdu of 2.74 million; Pashto, Mewati and others make up the rest.
A young city
Over 45% of Lahoris are under 20. Only about 3.5% are 65 or older — a classic developing-world population pyramid.
The Rivalry
Lahore vs Karachi: Settling It
In August 2023, headlines claimed Lahore had edged past Karachi. They were wrong — and the census numbers prove it.
| Measure (2023 census) | Lahore | Karachi |
|---|---|---|
| City / district population | 13,004,135 | ~18.87 million |
| Division population | 22,772,710 | 20,382,881 |
| Annual growth 2017–23 | 2.65% | 4.05% |
| Rank in Pakistan | 2nd city | 1st city |
The confusion: the Tribune headline compared Lahore division (22.77 million) with Karachi’s city figure — an apples-to-oranges comparison. Like-for-like, Karachi remains Pakistan’s largest city by roughly 6 million people, and it is growing faster. Fact-checkers flagged the claim as misleading at the time.
Outlook
2026 and Beyond
Lahore is on track to pass 14 million this year — and 15 million before 2030.
Compound the 2023 census figure of 13,004,135 at 2.65% a year and you get roughly 14.1 million by mid-2026. By 2030, at the same rate, Lahore would approach 15.6 million — firmly among the world’s 20 largest cities (2025 estimates already rank it around 20th).
That growth has consequences: the city adds roughly 340,000 people a year — a new mid-sized town every twelve months. Housing, water, transport and smog management are all racing to keep up. For the confusion between estimates and official counts, see what is the population of Lahore, Pakistan?
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions Pakistanis ask most about Lahore’s population — answered.
What is the population of Lahore in 2026?
The last official count is 13,004,135 (2023 census, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics). Growing at 2.65% a year, Lahore is estimated at roughly 14 million in 2026.
Is Lahore bigger than Karachi?
No. Karachi’s city population is about 18.87 million versus Lahore’s 13.0 million (2023 census). Headlines claiming otherwise confused Lahore division (22.77 million, four districts) with the city.
What is the area and density of Lahore?
Lahore district covers about 1,772 square kilometres, giving a density of roughly 7,339 people per km² — one of the densest districts in Pakistan.
What is the literacy rate of Lahore?
79.6% (population aged 10 and above) — among the highest in Pakistan: 81.4% for males and 77.6% for females.
Which languages are spoken in Lahore?
Punjabi is the mother tongue of about 9.55 million residents, Urdu of 2.74 million, with Pashto (268,000), Mewati (261,000) and smaller communities completing the picture.
How fast is Lahore growing?
At 2.65% a year (2017–2023), adding roughly 340,000 people annually. At that pace it passes 14 million in 2026 and approaches 15.6 million by 2030.
Explore Pakistan, District by District
Lahore is one piece of Pakistan’s demographic map — browse the full Geography section for provinces, cities and census data.
Feature Pakistan’s Pakistan Guides explain the country’s cities, provinces and census data in plain language — verified against the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.