Population Size and Growth in Pakistan Based on Early Reports of 1972 Census

Census reports are the primary source of information on population characteristics. Fundamental among these characteristics are population size and growth, but census reports are often used to evaluate other features of a population such as reliability of age reporting, extent of literacy, adequacy of occupational reporting, and level and pattern of unemployment. In this paper, we take a preliminary look at the 1972 Census of Pakistan in order to determine its overall suitability as a source of information on population of the country.