Population

According to the 1998 population census, the total population of Pakistan was 130580000 whereas the population of the NWFP was 17738000 growing at the rate of 2.61% and 2.82% per annum respectively. According to the Bureau of statistics, the total population of Hangu district was 182474 in 1981 and was 314529 as enumerated in March 1998 with an intercensal percentage increase of 73.1% since March 1998, in which the share of the urban population of the district was 64217 and 250312 was the rural contribution. By comparing the two census reports of 1981 and 1998, it is clarified that tremendous increase has occurred during this period. The district growth rate is 3.25, and keeps 23^rd position with respect to the province population.³⁵ This high growth rate is mainly due to low literacy rate and the marriages at the early stage.  Details of the population of the district are as follows:

Table .1

 

Table: compiled from N.W.F.P development statistics, 2002, Bureau of statistics, planning and development department, government of N.W.F.P.

 

Table .2 COMPARATIVE population of the Hangu district of 1981 AND 1998

Population 1981					Population 1998
Both sexes	Male	Female	Urban	Rural	Both sexes	Male	Female	Urban	Rural
182474	90359	92115	34427	148047	314529	154021	160508	64217	250312

           

Source: collected from NWFP development statistic 2000, 2002. Op.cit., Pp.16.202

 

 Based on the government census data the total population of Hangu was 55000in 1951, 87000 in 1961, 126000 in 1972, 182000 in 1981, and it rose to 315000 in 1998. The details of the population along with its intercensal increase and growth rates are given below: 

 

Table. 3.         Population of Hangu district with its intercensal percentage increase & annual growth arte

Population (in 000’s)	1951 55000		1961 87000			1972 126000		1981 182000			1998 315000
Intercensal increase in percent	58.2			44.8			44.4			73.1
Average annual growth rate in %	4.7	3.2			4.4				3.3			3.25

 

Table: Obtained from district census report 1998, op.cit., P.17

Similarly, the number of persons per house was 7.7 in 1981, which has increased to 10.4 in 1998. This increase is due to slow rhythm of construction and high birth rate. 

  Population density:

The total area of district is 1097 sq km, which gives population density of 287 persons per square km as compared to 166 persons when it was in 1981. This increase indicates a fast growth rate of the district.³⁶

Density per cultivated area is a better guide. Since there is no statistics on cultivated area for the district, its density per cultivated area, therefore cannot be derived.

Sex wise and age wise distribution:

According to the district census report of 1998, the sex ratio i.e. number of males for every female was 96%, which has decreased from 98 in 1981. This ratio was greater in urban areas (105) than rural areas (94). This increase could be outcome of sex selective migration to the urban areas.³⁷

In the same way age wise population was such like that infants under one year were 2.6%, children under 5 years 17.5%, under 10 years 35.3%, under 15 years 49.9%, and those having age of 18 years and above represented 44.8% and of 21 years and above contributed 35.6% to the total population. The population from 35 to 65 years was recorded as 47.5% and the proportion of old persons i.e. above 65 year were enumerated as 2.6%. Women of reproductive ages i.e. 15-49 years were 44.6% of their total population.³⁸ The above-mentioned age wise distribution makes it clear that the population of Hangu district is still very young as 50% of its population is under 15 years of age, leading to a high depending ratio. Because of the young structure of the population, the depending ratio is probably higher now.