North Waziristan’s voter registration rate stands at 62% of its estimated 2025 population — eight percentage points above the national ratio of 54%.

Methodology

These figures are drawn from district-wise electoral roll statistics released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on 30 December 2025. They are cross-referenced against population estimates derived from the 2023 Digital Census. The 2025 population estimate applies the 4.25% inter-censal annual growth rate to North Waziristan’s census base population of 693,332, yielding an estimated 2025 population of 753,518. Registration rates are calculated by dividing the number of registered voters by this estimated population.

Voter registration in North Waziristan

The district has 463,771 registered voters — 266,204 males (57.4%) and 197,567 females (42.6%). Among males, 69% of the estimated population is registered; among females, 54%. North Waziristan ranks 94th out of 136 districts nationally by population size and is represented by one Member of the National Assembly.

By voter registration rate, North Waziristan ranks 16th nationally and 6th of 35 within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Why registration exceeds the national ratio

Two rules governing Pakistan’s 2023 Digital Census explain North Waziristan’s above-average registration rate. First, household members absent for more than six months were not enumerated at their home address. Second, previous household members living elsewhere were recorded at their present address, not the origin household.

Labour migration — including significant movement to urban centres and abroad — draws a significant share of North Waziristan’s permanent residents to major Pakistani cities and Gulf labour markets. These individuals were enumerated at their destination, not in North Waziristan, at census time. They remain registered as voters in North Waziristan on the basis of their permanent CNIC address. The population denominator is therefore smaller than the registered voter roll — producing a ratio above the national average.

Despite the above-average overall rate, a significant gender gap persists: female voters account for 42.6% of the registered electorate, with 68,637 more male than female registered voters. Targeted registration campaigns for women in North Waziristan are needed ahead of the next general elections.

This post is part of FAFEN’s series on voter vs population ratio. Read more of this series here.