Some countries are best understood in numbers. This is the interesting information about Pakistan — population, land, economy, rankings and records — the data companion to our definitive Pakistan facts guide.
Quick answer: Pakistan by the numbers: 240M+ people (5th in the world); 881,913 sq km of land; 1,046 km of coastline; K2 at 8,611 m; the Indus at ~3,180 km; 6 UNESCO sites; ~70% of the world’s hand-stitched footballs; and a 92.97 m Olympic javelin record.
People and land
- Population: 240+ million — 5th largest in the world, 2nd largest Muslim-majority country.
- Area: 881,913 sq km — roughly the size of the UK and France combined.
- Median age: about 20 — one of the world’s youngest populations.
- Coastline: 1,046 km on the Arabian Sea, with the deep-sea port of Gwadar.
- Highest point: K2, 8,611 m. Longest river: the Indus, ~3,180 km.
- Desert: the Thar — among the world’s largest subtropical deserts.
Economy and industry
- Textiles: the backbone — Pakistan is among the world’s top cotton producers and textile exporters.
- Sialkot: ~70% of the world’s hand-stitched footballs plus a huge share of surgical instruments.
- Agriculture: mangoes, basmati rice, wheat, sugarcane — the Indus irrigation system waters it all.
- Remittances: overseas Pakistanis send home tens of billions of dollars yearly — a pillar of the economy.
- CPEC: the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor has channelled tens of billions into energy and infrastructure.
World rankings
- 5th most populous country; 2nd largest Muslim-majority nation.
- 1st Muslim-majority nuclear power (tests, May 1998).
- Largest earth-filled dam (Tarbela); 2nd largest salt mine (Khewra); highest polo ground (Shandur) and ATM (Khunjerab).
- 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- One of the largest irrigation systems on earth (Indus Basin).
Tourism in numbers
- 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites — and 26 more on the tentative list.
- 5 of the world’s fourteen 8,000-metre peaks.
- 1,300 km — the length of the Karakoram Highway.
- 4,500 years — the age of Mohenjo-daro’s streets.
- Pakistan was named among the world’s top adventure-travel destinations by multiple global publications in recent years.
Sport in numbers
- 92.97 m — Arshad Nadeem’s Olympic-record javelin throw, Paris 2024; Pakistan’s first individual Olympic gold.
- 4 Hockey World Cups — a record — plus 3 Olympic hockey golds.
- 555 — Jahangir Khan’s consecutive squash wins.
- 1992 — the year Pakistan won the Cricket World Cup.
- 37 balls — Shahid Afridi’s ODI century in 1996, a world record for nearly two decades.
For the human stories behind the statistics, see essential knowledge about Pakistan.
One number ties them together: a median age near 20. Pakistan’s statistics aren’t just records of what is — with the world’s fifth-largest and one of its youngest populations, they’re a preview of what’s coming.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Pakistan?
Over 240 million — the 5th largest in the world and the 2nd largest Muslim-majority country after Indonesia.
How big is Pakistan?
881,913 square kilometres — with a 1,046 km Arabian Sea coastline, the 8,611 m K2 peak, and the ~3,180 km Indus River.
What is Pakistan’s biggest export?
Textiles and garments lead exports; the country is also famous for Sialkot’s footballs and surgical goods, basmati rice and mangoes.
How many Olympic medals has Pakistan won?
Eleven in total — dominated by field hockey (including 3 golds), plus Arshad Nadeem’s historic javelin gold at Paris 2024, the first individual gold.
