Pakistan has released its first-ever Digital Economic Census 2023, a landmark initiative aimed at reshaping economic planning and policy-making through reliable, data-driven insights.
The report, unveiled by Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, highlights the scale of business activity, workforce distribution, and institutional presence across the country.
Historic milestone in data collection
At the launch ceremony, Ahsan Iqbal described the census as a “great success” that saved the government around Rs7 billion through digital methods. He stressed that “data is the fuel of the digital economy,” noting that a satellite survey covered 40 million buildings nationwide.
“This digital census will help us make economic decisions on a scientific basis,” the minister added.
Key findings: Businesses and workforce
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics:
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Pakistan has 7.2 million economic establishments, with the highest concentration in Punjab (4.36 million) and Sindh (1.38 million).
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The total workforce stands at 25.3 million, with Punjab leading at 13.6 million, followed by Karachi division. Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have the lowest number of business establishments and workforce.
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has more than 1 million businesses and nearly 4 million workers, while Balochistan recorded 300,000 establishments and 1.38 million workers. The workforce in the federal capital comprises 62,000 people.
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The services sector employs 44% of the workforce (11.2 million), followed by the social sector (30% or 7.58 million) and manufacturing (22% or 5.29 million).
Sector-wise breakdown
The census shows:
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Retail and sale trade dominate with 2.9 million establishments, including 2.7 million retailers and 188,000 wholesale shops.
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Manufacturing units number nearly 696,000, alongside 23,000 factories and 643,000 production shops.
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Agriculture, forestry, and fishing account for 1.1 million businesses.
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Services sector includes 945,000 businesses, with 825,000 service shops nationwide.
Social and institutional infrastructure
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Pakistan hosts 242,000 schools, 11,568 colleges, and 214 universities, totalling over 326,868 educational institutions.
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Mosques outnumber educational institutes, with 36,331 madrassas and nearly 600,403 mosques and places of worship.
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Health facilities stand at 119,789, while the hospitality sector surpasses them with 256,000 hotels.
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The country also has 29,836 government organizations and 16,565 hostels.
- The number of human health, social work institutions is 123,937.
Looking ahead
Ahsan Iqbal said the availability of this data would allow Pakistan to scientifically plan future projects, especially in agriculture, manufacturing, and services sectors. He emphasized that the census represents a new era in economic governance, helping policymakers address gaps and optimize resources.
