Quick facts
Islamabad overview
Islamabad (orange) and the other large cities of Pakistan
Islamabad lies in Pakistan at 33.72°N, 73.04°E, about 579 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Karachi (UTC+5); GeoNames classifies it as a national capital.
It is smaller than Jhang Sadr (606,533) and larger than Shekhupura (591,424). The largest city in Pakistan is Lahore with 13,004,135 people.
The nearest large city is Rawalpindi, about 14 km away, followed by Abbottabad (50 km).
Pakistan as a whole has a live population of 260,511,004 (+1.6% a year) and ranks #5 of 238 countries — see the Pakistan population page for the full statistics and the Pakistan atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Islamabad
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Rawalpindi Punjab | 14 km | 3,357,612 |
| Abbottabad Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 50 km | 275,890 |
| Dhirkot Azad Kashmir | 61 km | 195,000 |
| Attock City Punjab | 63 km | 141,945 |
| Tordher Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 76 km | 150,000 |
| Muzaffarābād Azad Kashmir | 82 km | 725,000 |
| Chakwal Punjab | 89 km | 101,200 |
| New Mirpur City Azad Kashmir | 92 km | 124,352 |
Largest cities in Pakistan
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lahore | Punjab | 13,004,135 |
| 2 | Karachi | Sindh | 11,624,219 |
| 3 | Peshawar | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 4,758,762 |
| 4 | Faisalabad | Punjab | 3,800,193 |
| 5 | Rawalpindi | Punjab | 3,357,612 |
| 6 | Gujranwala | Punjab | 2,511,118 |
| 7 | Multan | Punjab | 2,169,915 |
| 8 | Hyderabad | Sindh | 1,921,275 |
| 9 | Quetta | Balochistan | 1,565,546 |
| 10 | Bannu | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 1,357,890 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Islamabad?
Islamabad has about 601,600 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Islamabad the capital of Pakistan?
Yes — Islamabad is the national capital of Pakistan.
How big is Islamabad compared with the rest of Pakistan?
Its 601,600 residents are 0.2% of the 260,511,004 people living in Pakistan today. Lahore is larger with 13,004,135 people.
Where is Islamabad?
In Pakistan, at latitude 33.72 and longitude 73.04, 579 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Rawalpindi (14 km), Abbottabad (50 km), Dhirkot (61 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Islamabad Population 2026 — Pakistan. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/pakistan/islamabad/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/pakistan/islamabad/">Islamabad Population 2026 — Pakistan</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.