IN a recent conversation with the UN Resident Coordinator, we explored how the UNFPA could better assist the UN Country Team in using census data to target interventions for those most in need. To his surprise, neither UNFPA nor any other development or national actor has access to the anonymized microdata from the latest census, despite the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) publishing 35 aggregate tables online.

This lack of access highlights a critical problem: Pakistan’s data dissemination is inadequate. The 2017 census—Pakistan’s first in nearly two decades—was a monumental effort. Thousands of enumerators were mobilized, billions of rupees spent and the country came together to collect vital information on population, housing, employment, education and services. Yet, despite these efforts, it took over three years to release the first batch of data and detailed results remain largely inaccessible to those who need it most—policymakers, researchers and development partners. This failure to make data accessible is more than a missed opportunity; it is a barrier to progress.

While the data collection was a logistical success, delays resulted from political disputes, legal challenges and institutional setbacks. By the time the official results were released, governments at both federal and provincial levels had already made major policy and budgetary decisions—without the benefit of up-to-date demographic data. Even with the 2023 digital census—Pakistan’s first of its kind—aggregate figures are now available, but access to microdata for in-depth analysis remains blocked, two years after data........

© Pakistan Observer