Search “Pakistan sex ratio 2009” and you will find a number — but rarely its source. Here it is, properly sourced: the official 2009 figure, where it came from, and the honest caveat that no census was conducted that year.
Quick answer: Pakistan’s sex ratio in 2009 was an estimated 107 males per 100 females (93.6 females per 100 males). There was no census in 2009 — the figure comes from the Federal Bureau of Statistics’ Compendium on Gender Statistics of Pakistan 2009 (March 2010), based on National Institute of Population Studies estimates: 88.2 million males and 82.6 million females.
In this guide
The 2009 Figure, Sourced
The Compendium on Gender Statistics of Pakistan 2009 — published by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (now the PBS) in March 2010 — is the authoritative source. Its Table 1.4 records for 2009: 82,596,000 females and 88,238,000 males out of 170,834,000 people, a female share of 48.3%. Table 1.5 converts this to a sex ratio of 107 males per 100 females — identical across urban and rural areas that year.
For the full census-verified picture, see our Pakistan sex ratio landing guide; the “2018 census” figures are unpacked in the 2018 explainer, and the plain-terms split in male to female ratio in Pakistan.
Why There Was No 2009 Census
Pakistan’s censuses have been irregular: 1951, 1961, 1972, 1981, 1998, then a 19-year gap to 2017. For the intercensal years 2005–2009, the compendium explicitly relied on National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS) estimates — the preface notes that “the population census has not yet been carried out” and estimates were appended “as a means to provide an indication of the obtaining scenario.” Treat 2009 as a well-constructed estimate, not a count.
2009 in Context: The Trend
The 2009 estimate of 107 sits neatly on the long convergence line: 116 (1951) → 115 (1961) → 114 (1972) → 110 (1981) → 108 (1998) → 107 (2009 est.) → 105.07 (2017) → 106.12 (2023). The compendium itself observed the female share rising “down the time lane” as female survivability improved — the ratio was moving toward balance long before the 2017 census confirmed it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Pakistan’s sex ratio in 2009?
An estimated 107 males per 100 females (93.6 females per 100 males), per the PBS Compendium on Gender Statistics 2009.
Was there a census in Pakistan in 2009?
No. The figure is built on NIPS population estimates; the surrounding censuses were 1998 and 2017.
What was Pakistan’s population in 2009?
An estimated 170.8 million — 88.2 million males and 82.6 million females.
Where can I find the official 2009 data?
The Compendium on Gender Statistics of Pakistan 2009, published by the Federal Bureau of Statistics in March 2010 and hosted on pbs.gov.pk.
