This is a list of metropolitan areas in Pakistan. These metropolitan areas are home to about 20% of the population or about 46 million Pakistanis.
Every Pakistani city with a population of 500,000 or more is considered a metropolitan area. This list is according to the 2017 Census of Pakistan. [1] [2] [3]
Rank | Metropolitan area | Province | Population (2017) [4] | Metropolitan Area km2 (sqmi) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Karachi | Sindh | 16,051,521 [5] | 3,527 (1,361.8) |
2 | Lahore | Punjab | 11,126,285 | 1,772 (684.2) |
3 | Peshawar | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 4,758,000 | 215 (83.0) |
4 | Islamabad-Rawalpindi | [ Islamabad and | 4,721,000 | 1,165.5 (450.0) 259 (100.0) Islamabad: 906.5 (350.0) |
5 | Faisalabad | Punjab | 3,203,846 | 1326 (512) |
6 | Gujranwala | Punjab | 2,027,001 | 240 (92.7) |
7 | Multan | Punjab | 1,871,843 | 286 (110.4) |
8 | Hyderabad | Sindh | 1,732,693 | 292 (112.7) |
9 | Quetta | Balochistan | 1,001,205 | 178 (68.7) |
10 | Bahawalpur | Punjab | 762,111 | 246 (95.0) |
11 | Sargodha | Punjab | 659,862 | 155 (59.8) |
12 | Sialkot | Punjab | 655,852 | 102 (39.4) |
The Islamabad Capital Territory is the only federal territory of Pakistan that is centred around Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, located on the northern edge of the Pothohar Plateau, at the foot of the Margalla Hills, in the northwestern area of the Punjab region. The territory shares borders with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the west and with the province of Punjab in the remaining directions. It covers an area of 906.5 square kilometres (350.0 sq mi) and, according to 2023 census, has a population of over 2.3 million.
Karachi is the capital city of the Pakistani province of Sindh. It is the largest city in Pakistan and 12th largest in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast and formerly served as the country's capital from 1947 to 1959. Ranked as a beta-global city, it is Pakistan's premier industrial and financial centre, with an estimated GDP of over $200 billion (PPP) as of 2021. Karachi is a metropolitan city and is considered Pakistan's most cosmopolitan city, and among the country's most linguistically, ethnically, and religiously diverse regions, as well as one of the country's most progressive and socially liberal cities.
The districts of Pakistan are the third-level administrative divisions of Pakistan, below provinces and divisions, but forming the first-tier of local government. In total, there are 166 districts in Pakistan, including the Capital Territory, and the districts of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. These districts are further divided into tehsils and union councils.
Rawalpindi District is a district located in the northernmost part of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Parts of the district form part of the Islamabad Rawalpindi metropolitan area. Rawalpindi city is the district capital.
Peshawar District is a district in the Peshawar Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located about 160 km west of the Pakistan's capital Islamabad. The district headquarter is the city of Peshawar, which is also the capital of Khyber Paktunkhwa.
Muzaffargarh District is a district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Its capital is Muzaffargarh city. It lies on the bank of the Chenab River.
Sargodha is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 11th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as the City of Eagles.
Mardān is a city in the Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Located in the Valley of Peshawar, Mardan is the second-largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is a fast-growing city that experienced a population boom in the latter half of the 20th century.
Karachi is the financial and industrial capital of Pakistan. As of 2019, Karachi has an estimated GDP (PPP) of $164 billion. The city accounts about half of the total collections of the Federal Board of Revenue, out of which, approximately half are customs duty and sales tax on imports. Karachi produces about 30 percent of value added in large-scale manufacturing, 25% of the GDP, the World Bank identified Karachi as the most business-friendly city in Pakistan. In 2010, research by the global human resources company Mercer found Karachi to be the most inexpensive city in the world.
Kalat District is a district located in Kalat Division of Balochistan, Pakistan. Kalat was made a separate district on February 3, 1954. At that time Khuzdar and Mastung districts were sub-divisions of Kalat. Khuzdar became a separate district by notification of 1 March 1974, while Mastung was announced as a separate district on 18 February 1992. The district draws its name from the ancient city of Kalat. The old name of the district headquarters was Kahan. The current district consists of two sub-divisions, i.e. Kalat and Manguchar, four tehsils: Kalat Mangochar, Johan, and Gazgz, 81 Patwar circles and 614 mauza (villages).
Sargodha District, is a district of Punjab, Pakistan. The capital of the district is Sargodha. It is an agricultural district with wheat, rice, sugarcane and kinnow being its main crops. The Sargodha district and region is also famous for citrus fruit including Kinnow, orange and lemon. The district has an area of 5,864 km2.
Rahim Yar Khan District, is a district in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Its headquarters is the city of Rahim Yar Khan.
Dadu District, is a district of Sindh Province, Pakistan. With headquarters in the city of Dadu, the district was created in 1931 by merging Kotri and Mahal Kohistan tehsils from Karachi District and Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Dadu, Johi and Sehwan tehsils from Larkana District. In 2004, several talukas in the south were split off to create the new Jamshoro District. Its boundary touches four districts of Sindh: Jamshoro, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad and Kamber Shahdadkot.
Bhakkar District, is a district in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. The district was created out of parts of Mianwali in 1982, and has the city of Bhakkar as its headquarters. Part of its area consists of a riverine tract along the Indus, called Kaccha, while most of the district area lies in the desolate plain of the Thal Desert.
Sheikhupura District, is a district located in Lahore Division of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Sheikhupura is the headquarters of Sheikhupura district. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the district had a population of 3,321,029 of which 25.45% were urban. In 2005 one of its subdivisions was split off to form the new Nankana Sahib District.
A metropolis is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
Korangi District is one of the seven administrative districts of Karachi Division, created in 2013 after the area's split from Karachi East District. Located in eastern Karachi in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, its population is 3,127,976, according to the 2023 census.
The Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area is the fourth-largest metropolitan area of Pakistan, after Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad. It consists of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.