Islamabad, February 22, 2026: Despite the registration of 31.9 million births at the union council (UC) level in 2025, these records have not yet been uploaded to the central database of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), according to the authority’s latest performance report.
The report, recently submitted to the Interior Ministry of Pakistan, states that NADRA’s central registry now contains data on 227 million individuals, representing nearly 97 percent of Pakistan’s population. Of the registered population, 52 percent are men and 48 percent women.
It notes that NADRA’s biometric repository has expanded significantly, with facial data of 170 million people, iris scans of seven million individuals, and more than 1.68 billion fingerprints on record. During 2025 alone, the authority processed 445 million biometric verifications, underscoring the scale of its digital operations.
According to the report, citizen registration witnessed notable growth during the year. Overall national registration increased by four percent, while registrations of children under the age of 18 rose by 11 percent. Renewals of expired identity cards surged by 24 percent, and cancellations following deaths jumped by 900 percent. Female registrations also increased by eight percent, indicating gradual progress toward greater gender inclusion.
By the end of 2025, a total of 938 registration centres were operational across the country. NADRA established 75 new centres and 138 new counters, in addition to adding 126 counters at existing facilities.
Mobile registration services continued through 231 vans, including 33 satellite-enabled units deployed to reach remote and hard-to-access areas. At the local level, 62 UC-based counters remained functional, while six new overseas counters were set up to facilitate Pakistanis living abroad.
The report highlights strong uptake of digital services, with the Pak Identity mobile app handling 15 percent of NADRA’s overall workload. The application, which has surpassed 12 million downloads, enabled citizens to complete documentation processes remotely without visiting physical registration centres.
Policy developments during 2025 were also outlined in the report. These included federal approval of the National Registration and Biometric Policy Framework, amendments to identity card regulations, the launch of biometric registration certificates for children as young as three, and the granting of formal legal status to family registration certificates.
While NADRA’s database now covers the vast majority of the population, the report acknowledges that gaps persist, particularly in the registration of women and young children in certain regions. It notes that continued deployment of mobile units, Minipacs, motorbike teams, and overseas counters is aimed at bridging these gaps and expanding inclusive access to civil registration services nationwide.
