The province of Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area. It has an area of 347,190 sq.kms, equivalent to 43.6% of the total geographical area of Pakistan.

However, according to the Population and Housing Census of 2023, it has a population of 14.9 million, which is only 6.2% of the total population of Pakistan.

The consequence of the extremely low population density in the province is that the costs of provision of basic services are relatively high. An elaborate network of roads is required. Also, given the spread of rural settlements, more schools and medical facilities are needed.

Recent estimates of the size of the provincial economy, in terms of the Gross Regional Product, are that, as of 2023-24, it is equivalent to 4.5% of the national GDP. This implies that currently the per capita income in the province is 72.6% of the national average. This is the first indicator of the ‘development gap’ of Balochistan.

The province has a comparative advantage in some sectors. These include minor crops, mostly fruits and vegetables, mining and quarrying and electricity and gas. In these sectors, the province’s share in national value-added ranges from 6% in electricity and gas, to 21% in mining and quarrying and to 23% in minor crops.

The relatively underdeveloped sectors are manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, banking and insurance and private services. The share of Balochistan in these sectors is generally below 3%.

The primary measure of the level of development is the........

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