1972 Census: Population—Expected and Actual

The information released in the Census Bulletin is limited to total population down to district levels and for major cities, by sex. Details about age distribution and breakup by other characteristics will be released later. The conclusions drawn in this paper are tentative, subject to modification after details of the age-sex distribution and results of post enumeration quality check are known. The 1972 census differed from the previous ones in a number of ways. First, the census was carried out only in West Pakistan. Second, because of the circumstances leading to the separation of East Pakistan, the census which was due to be held in early 1971 was actually conducted in 1972, eleven years and eight months after 1961 census, instead of ten years which has been the normal practice in the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent since 1881. Third, the 1972 census was based on a schedule of enumeration consisting of only six questions, the minimum number ever asked in the census taking history of the region. These questions covered the following information about each member of the household:—