#Peshawar records highest population growth among all K-P divisions

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Peshawar Division has an average annual growth rate of 3.99% – the highest among all divisions of the K-P – and its population has doubled since 1998, when the last census was conducted.

According to district-wise census results released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Peshawar division – that includes district Peshawar, Nowshera, and Charsadda – has a total population of over 7.9 million as compared to 3.39 million in 1998.

Among the districts of Peshawar Division, the district Peshawar’s population has surged from 2.0 million in 1998 to 4.26 million in 2017 and it has the highest annual growth rate of 3.99%, followed by 2.94% of Nowshera whose total population is over 1.5 million. Charsadda district’s population is 1.6 million.

After Peshawar, highest annual growth of 3.7 has been recorded in Lower Dir district where population has increased from 700,000 in 1998 to 1.4 million in 2017. Interestingly, the annual growth rate in urban population has decreased by 0.49% while in rural areas the annual growth rate is 3.9%.

According to census documents, the population growth rate in rural areas of Peshawar has been recorded at 4.23% and in urban areas 3.7%. The lowest growth rate is recorded in Torghar district whose population has increased from 171,000 in 1998 to 0.174 million in 2017 with an annual growth rate of -0.10 followed by Chitral whose population increased with an annual growth rate of 1.80.

The population of Bannu Division has increased from 1.1 million in 1998 to 2.04 million in the latest census while population of DI Khan division has increased from 1.09 million to 2.01 million.

Hazara Division’s and Kohat Division’s population has increased from 3.5 million to 5.3 million, and 1.3 million to 2.2 million, respectively. The census documents show that Mardan Division’s population has surged from 2.4 million to 3.9 million, while Malakand Division’s population has increased from 4.2 million to 7.5 million. According to the census data, the districts where female population is more than the male population include Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Swat, Buner, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Mansehra, Haripur and Battagram.

The highest transgender population of 311 individuals is recorded in Hazara Division, followed by 292 in Peshawar Division, 121 in Mardan Division, 69 in Malakand, 54 in Kohat Division, 49 in DI Khan Division, and 18 in Bannu Division.