The count of young voters in Pakistan has risen to 56.86 million from 46.43 million in 2018, indicating a growth of 10.42 million in approximately six years. This surge places the youth demographic in a pivotal position to influence the outcome of the upcoming general elections next month.
Analysts suggest that the significant number of young voters, most of whom engage with social media, could wield substantial influence through online platforms, potentially reshaping the electoral landscape in various constituencies if they turn out in large numbers on election day.
Among the total 128.58 million voters, the 56.86 million young voters constitute 44.22%. These young voters include 31.85 million from Punjab, 11.72 million from Sindh, 10.72 million from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and 2.3 million from Balochistan. The proportion of young voters in 2018 was 43.82% of the total voter population.
Analyzing the age-wise data, there are 23.51 million voters between 18 and 25 years old, with 14.8 million male and 9.32 million female voters. Additionally, there are 33.34 million voters in the age group of 26-35, including 17.89 million male and 15.44 million female voters. Another 28.74 million voters fall in the age bracket of 36-45 years, with 15.08 million male and 13.67 million female voters.
In terms of regional distribution, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) boasts the highest proportion of young voters at 51.40%. Specifically, Bajaur district leads with 54.45% young voters. In Balochistan, Dera Bugti, Shirani, Chaghai, and Khatak are the four districts with over 50% young voters.
In Punjab, only Dera Ghazi Khan has over 50% young voters, making up 50.87% of the total voters in the district. Overall, Punjab has a 42.97% proportion of young voters.
In Sindh, the overall proportion of young voters is 43.44%, with Ghotki district having the highest proportion (47.95%) and Karachi (South) the lowest (35.30%).
Comparing with previous years, in 2018, the number of voters aged 18-25 and 26-35 was 17.44 million and 28.99 million, respectively. In the 2013 general polls, out of 86.18 million voters, 17.5 million were under 25 years old, and 24.2 million were between 26 and 35 years old.