Pakistan's Biggest Cities Ranked by Population and Economy
What are Pakistan's biggest cities, by the numbers? Here's the actual 2023-census ranking — including a couple of surprises if you've read city-marketing material that treats industrial fame as a population proxy.
The top 10, by city-proper population
| Rank | City | Population (2023 census) | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karachi | 18,868,021 | Sindh |
| 2 | Lahore | 13,004,135 | Punjab |
| 3 | Faisalabad | 3,691,999 | Punjab |
| 4 | Rawalpindi | 3,357,612 | Punjab |
| 5 | Gujranwala | 2,511,118 | Punjab |
| 6 | Multan | 2,215,381 | Punjab |
| 7 | Hyderabad | 1,921,275 | Sindh |
| 8 | Peshawar | 1,905,975 | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| 9 | Quetta | 1,565,546 | Balochistan |
| 10 | Islamabad | 1,108,872 | Islamabad Capital Territory |
These are city-proper figures from Pakistan's first digital census (conducted March–May 2023) — not metro-area estimates, which run higher for cities with large surrounding conurbations.
The surprise: Sialkot and Gujrat aren't top-10 by population
If you've researched Pakistani industrial cities, you've heard of Sialkot (sports goods, surgical instruments) constantly — but it doesn't crack the national top 10 by city-proper population. Sialkot Tehsil (a larger administrative unit than the city itself) had 2,088,201 people in 2023; Sialkot District, 4,499,394. Gujrat follows a similar pattern: Gujrat Tehsil at 1,746,173, Gujrat District at 3,219,375.
The takeaway: Sialkot and Gujrat's importance is industrial, not demographic. They punch enormously above their population weight in export value — see our cities-by-industry guide for why that matters more than raw headcount if you're scouting a manufacturing base.
A note on Islamabad
Islamabad's 1.1 million figure is for the city/Islamabad Capital Territory limits only. The broader Islamabad–Rawalpindi conurbation, often discussed together given how functionally connected the two cities are, is considerably larger. Don't conflate "Islamabad the city" with "Islamabad the metro region" when sizing a market.
Why population rank isn't the same as investment priority
Karachi and Lahore's population dominance tracks their economic weight — Karachi alone generates roughly 25% of national GDP and handles about 95% of Pakistan's foreign trade through its ports. But several much-smaller cities (Sialkot, Gujranwala, Faisalabad) are genuinely world-class in narrow export categories despite modest populations. If you're choosing where to locate a business, population should inform your labor-market and consumer-market thinking — it shouldn't be the only variable. Our Industries to Invest In guide and companion cities-by-industry article go deeper on matching a sector to the right city.
Last updated September 2026. Sources: 2023 Pakistani census — Wikipedia, List of Pakistani cities by population — Wikipedia, Sialkot Tehsil — Wikipedia.