India vs Pakistan: Share of population living in the capital city
India
2.1%
in 2020
Pakistan
1.9%
in 2020
India rank
161st
Pakistan rank
162nd
Share of population living in the capital city over time
- India
- Pakistan
How they compare
India currently reports 2.1% against 1.9% in Pakistan, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes India's figure about 1.1 times Pakistan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Pakistan ahead.
India ranks 161st and Pakistan ranks 162nd of 170 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, India averaged higher in 3 and Pakistan in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | Pakistan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.1% | Pakistan |
| 1960s | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.1% | Pakistan |
| 1970s | 1.0% | 1.1% | 0.2% | Pakistan |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.2% | Pakistan |
| 1990s | 1.4% | 1.5% | 0.1% | Pakistan |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.0% | India |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 0.0% | India |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 1.9% | 0.2% | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in the capital city, India or Pakistan?
- India, at 2.1% against 1.9% in Pakistan as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population living in the capital city between India and Pakistan?
- 0.2%, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and Pakistan?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do India and Pakistan rank globally for share of population living in the capital city?
- India ranks 161st and Pakistan ranks 162nd of 170 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.