Following ethnic groups have a population of at least 1 million as per the
2023 national census.
Punjabis Punjabis are an
Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group native to the
Punjab region between India and Pakistan. They are the largest ethnic group of Pakistan.
Punjabi Muslims are the
third-largest Islam-adhering Muslim ethnicity in the world, globally, after
Arabs and
Bengalis. Traditionally, Punjabi identity is primarily linguistic, geographical and cultural. Its identity is independent of historical origin or religion and refers to those who reside in the Punjab region or associate with its population and those who consider the
Punjabi language and its
dialects as their mother tongue.
Integration and
assimilation are important parts of
Punjabi culture, since Punjabi identity is not based solely on tribal connections.
Pashtuns Pashtuns are an
Iranic ethnolinguistic group and are Pakistan's second largest ethnicity. They speak
Pashto as their first language and are divided into multiple tribes such as
Afridi,
Durrani,
Yousafzai and
Khattak, which are notably the main Pashtun tribes in Pakistan. They make up an estimated 38 million of Pakistan's total population and are mostly adherent to Sunni Islam.
Sindhis The
Sindhis are an
Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who speak the
Sindhi language and are native to the
Sindh province of
Pakistan. Sindhis are predominantly
Muslim, but have a minority
Hindu population, making up the largest Hindu minority population in Pakistan. Sindhi Muslim culture is highly influenced by
Sufi doctrines and principles and some of the popular cultural icons of Sindh are
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai,
Lal Shahbaz Qalandar,
Jhulelal and
Sachal Sarmast.
Saraikis The
Saraikis are an
Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group inhabiting parts of central and southeastern
Pakistan, primarily in the southern part of the Pakistani province of
Punjab. They are mainly found in
Derajat, a cultural region of central
Pakistan, located in the region where the provinces of
Punjab,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and
Balochistan meet.
Derajat is bound by the
Indus River and the
Sulaiman Mountains to the west.
Muhajirs Muhajirs (meaning "migrants"), are a collective multiethnic group who emerged through the migration of Indian Muslims from various parts of
India to
Pakistan starting in 1947, as a result of the world's largest mass migration. The majority of Muhajirs are settled in
Sindh mainly in
Karachi and
Hyderabad. Sizable communities of Muhajirs are also present in cities including
Lahore,
Multan,
Islamabad,
Mirpur Khas,
Sukkur and
Peshawar. The term Muhajir is also used for descendants of Muslims who migrated to Pakistan after the 1947 partition of India. Notable Muhajirs include
Liaquat Ali Khan,
Abdul Qadeer Khan,
Pervez Musharraf,
Hakeem Muhammad Saeed and
Abdul Sattar Edhi.
Baloch The
Baloch are an
Iranic ethnolinguistic group, and are principally found in the south of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Despite living in the southeastern side towards the
Indian subcontinent for centuries, they are classified as a northwestern Iranian people in accordance to
their language which belongs to the northwestern subgroup of
Iranian languages. According to Dr. Akhtar Baloch,
Professor at
University of Karachi, the Balochis migrated from
Balochistan during the
Little Ice Age and settled in
Sindh and
Punjab. The Little Ice Age is conventionally defined as a period extending from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries or alternatively, from 1300 to 1850, although climatologists and historians working with local records no longer expect to agree on either the start or end dates of this period, which varied according to local conditions. According to Professor Baloch, the climate of Balochistan was very cold and the region was uninhabitable during the winter so the Baloch people migrated in waves and settled in
Sindh and
Punjab.
Hindkowans/Hazarewals Hindkowans, also known as the Hindki, is a contemporary designation for speakers of
Hindko dialects of
Western Punjabi, primarily living in the
Hazara region of northern Pakistan. The origins of the term refer merely to the speakers of Indo-Aryan languages rather than to any particular
ethnic group.
Brahuis The
Brahui,
Brahvi or
Brohi, are an ethnic group principally found in
Balochistan, Pakistan. They speak the
Brahui language, which belongs to the
Dravidian language family, although ethnically they tend to identify as
Baloch. They are a small minority group in
Afghanistan, where they are native, but they are also found in their diaspora in
West Asian states. They mainly occupy the area in Balochistan from
Bolan Pass through the Bolan Hills to Ras Muari (
Cape Monze) on the sea, separating the
Baloch people living to the east and west. The Brahuis are almost entirely
Sunni Muslims.
Meos Meo, also spelled
Mayo or occasionally,
Mewati, are a Muslim ethnic group originating from the
Mewat region of north-western India. During the
Partition of India, several Meo were displaced from Alwar and Bharatpur districts in India, mostly settling in Pakistani districts of
Sialkot,
Lahore,
Karachi,
Narowal,
Dera Ghazi Khan,
Sheikhupura,
Gujranwala,
Multan,
Haiderabad and
Kasur, among others. == Other ethnic groups ==