The number of young voters in Pakistan has increased to 56.86 million from 46.43 million in 2018, as per data from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The surge in young voters reflects an increase of 10.42 million in around six years and places the cohort in a position to play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the general elections set to take place next month.
With the total number of voters coming to 128.58 million, the young voters numbering 56.86 million constitute 44.22 percent. They 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 percent.
Another 28.74 million voters are in the age bracket of 36-45 years. They include 15.08 million male and 13.67 million female voters. A thorough analysis of the age-wise data of voters reveals that as many as 19 districts in three provinces excluding Sindh have more than 50 percent individuals below the age of 35 enrolled as voters.
The highest proportion of young voters is in KP, with 51.40 percent. Bajaur district of the erstwhile Fata has the highest proportion, with 54.45 percent young voters. In contrast, Quetta has the lowest proportion of young voters, at 23.26 percent.
Overall, the proportion of young voters in Punjab is 42.97 percent, and in Sindh, it is 43.44 percent. In 2018, the number of voters in the age brackets of 18-25 and 26-35 was 17.44 million and 28.99 million, respectively.