Islamabad: A recent report by the Population Council highlights that 36 out of 129 districts in Pakistan have an unemployment-to-population ratio exceeding 20 percent. Among these districts, Panjgur in Balochistan reported the highest ratio at 36 percent, while Karachi Central in Sindh recorded the lowest at approximately six percent.
According to the District Vulnerability Index Pakistan (DVIP) 2025 report, the unemployment-to-population ratio differs from the unemployment rate, which is often used to measure unemployment in a country. The unemployment rate, recorded at 7.1 percent by the latest Labour Force Survey from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, measures unemployed individuals within the "labour force." In contrast, the unemployment-to-population ratio considers unemployed persons within the "potential working-age population," which includes individuals aged 10 to 64 years, irrespective of their participation in the labor force.
Balochistan showed significant variations, with unemployment-to-population ratios ranging from 12.5 percent in Sohbatpur to 35.9 percent in Panjgur. Punjab's ratios varied from 6.8 percent in Gujrat to 17.2 percent in Muzaffargarh, with no district exceeding 20 percent. In Sindh, the ratio spanned from 5.7 percent in Karachi Central to 22.7 percent in Sujawal. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported ratios ranging from 9.4 percent in Abbottabad to 29.5 percent in North and South Waziristan. The Islamabad Capital Territory stood at 8.4 percent.
The report underscores the disparity in unemployment-to-population ratios across Pakistan, highlighting areas where economic interventions might be necessary to improve employment rates within the potential working-age population.