Massive Biometric Repository Detailed in Annual Submission
The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has disclosed that approximately 227 million Pakistani citizens are now registered in its national database, representing a staggering 97% of the country’s total population. The figures were presented in the authority’s annual report submitted to the Ministry of Interior.
Breakdown of Demographic and Biometric Data
In a detailed video statement, NADRA spokesperson Shabahat Ali elaborated on the comprehensive statistics. The gender distribution of registered citizens shows 52% are men and 48% are women. The authority also recorded 31.9 million childbirth registrations at the union council level in the past year.
The scale of NADRA’s biometric collection is unprecedented:
- 1.68 billion fingerprint records
- 170 million facial recognition records
- 7 million retinal scans
Significant Growth in Registration Services
Spokesperson Ali highlighted an 11% overall increase in registrations across all categories. Notably, childbirth registrations surged by 18%, while women’s registrations increased by 8%. To accommodate this growth, NADRA expanded its physical infrastructure, establishing 75 new registration centers and 138 additional service counters in 2025, bringing the total number of operational centers to 938 nationwide.
Digital Transformation Through Mobile Technology
The authority’s digital initiatives are showing substantial adoption. The Pak ID mobile application has assumed over 15% of NADRA’s service delivery responsibilities, with downloads exceeding 12 million. This shift toward digital services represents a significant modernization of citizen registration and identification processes in Pakistan.
