Karachi is the largest and most populous city in Pakistan. The population of Karachi is estimated to be around 16 million (16,093,786) in 2020.[1] The population and demographic distribution in the megacity has undergone numerous changes over the past 150 years. On 14 August 1947, when it became the capital city of Pakistan, its population was about 450,000 inhabitants However, the population rapidly grew with large influx of Muslim refugees after independence in 1947. By 1951, the city population had crossed one million mark.[2] in the following decade, the rate of growth of Karachi was over 80 percent.[3] Today, the city has grown 60 times its size in 1947 when it became the country's first capital.[4] Although, Islamabad remains the nation's capital since the 1960s, the city's population continues to grow at about 5% per annum, largely thanks to its strong economic base.[5]
A person from Karachi is known as a Karachiite.
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| History of Karachi |
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| Prehistoric period |
| Ancient period |
| Classical period |
| Islamic period |
| Local dynasties |
| British period |
| Independent Pakistan |
- ^ World Population Review
- ^ 1960, Monographs in the Economics of Development. Institute of Development Economics, Pakistan.
- ^ G Myrdal (1968), Asian Drama: An Inquiry Into The Poverty Of Nations. Pantheon Books. (3 volumes)
- ^ S J Burki (2004), Karachi: a unique mega city, [DAWN Newspaper|DAWN], 5 October. Retrieved on 7 January 2008
- ^ P Blood (ed.) (1994), Pakistan: A Country Study.PO for the Library of Congress.