OxfordAQA IGCSE Pakistan Studies: The People and Economy of Pakistan — Revision Notes

These notes condense topic 3.2.2 of OxfordAQA International GCSE Pakistan Studies 9236, The People and Economy of Pakistan, examined in Paper 2 Section B. Learn the definitions, the reasons behind population change and migration, how the economic sectors have shifted, the development indicators, trade patterns and the opportunities and challenges of urban growth.

Syllabus coverage

9236 topic 3.2.2 (Version 1.9)

• 3.2.2.1 Population structure, growth, density, distribution, migration
• 3.2.2.2 Sector changes over 100 years; agriculture, manufacturing and services location and employment
• 3.2.2.3 GDP, HDI, FDI, trade; imports, exports, balance of trade, remittances; partners; trade blocs and the WTO
• 3.2.2.4 Urbanisation trends; Karachi and Lahore; opportunities, challenges and strategies

Key terms

Term	Meaning
Birth rate / death rate	Births / deaths per 1,000 people per year
Infant mortality rate	Deaths of babies under one year per 1,000 live births
Life expectancy	Average number of years a person is expected to live
Natural increase	Birth rate minus death rate
Population density	People per km²
Push / pull factors	Reasons that drive people away / attract them
Remittances	Money sent home by workers abroad
Primary / secondary / tertiary / quaternary	Raw materials / manufacturing / services / knowledge work
GDP	Value of all goods and services produced in a year
HDI	Human Development Index: health, education and income combined
FDI	Foreign direct investment by overseas companies
Balance of trade	Exports minus imports
Trade bloc	Group of countries with reduced trade barriers between them
Megacity	City of more than 10 million people
Urbanisation	Increase in the share of people living in towns and cities

Population: key points

• About 241 million people (2023 census); youthful structure.
• Death rate fell faster than birth rate → rapid natural increase.
• Birth rate falling with girls’ education, later marriage, family planning, urbanisation.
• Dense: Indus Plain, Punjab and Sindh, big cities. Sparse: northern mountains, Balochistan, deserts.

Migration: key points

Type	Push	Pull	Impact
Rural–urban	Low farm incomes, mechanisation, floods	Jobs, schools, hospitals	City growth; katchi abadis; rural labour shortage
International	Unemployment, low wages	Gulf jobs; UK, Europe, North America	Remittances; brain drain; cultural links
Refugees into Pakistan	War in Afghanistan	Safety	Pressure on services; cultural exchange

Economic sectors

• Primary: falling share of GDP; still employs more than a third of workers; irrigated Punjab and Sindh.
• Secondary: textiles (Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore), cement, fertiliser, sugar, cars, sports goods and surgical instruments (Sialkot).
• Tertiary: largest share of GDP; retail, transport, banking, telecoms, health, education.
• Quaternary: IT and software exports, research; Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad.
• Location factors: raw materials, power, labour, transport, ports, markets, government policy.

Trade

• Exports: textiles and clothing, rice, leather, sports goods, surgical instruments, fruit, fish.
• Imports: oil and LNG, machinery, chemicals, palm oil, steel, vehicles.
• Trade deficit usually; remittances help close the gap.
• Partners: China, USA, UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK and EU.
• Blocs and bodies: EU GSP+, China FTA, ECO, SAARC, WTO.

Development indicators: strengths and limits

Indicator	Use	Limit
GDP	Size of the whole economy	Large population means low GDP per person
GDP per capita	Average income	Hides inequality between provinces and classes
HDI	Health, education and income together	National average hides rural–urban gaps
FDI	Confidence of foreign investors	Profits may leave; can add to debt
Trade balance	Strength of exports against imports	Affected by oil prices and exchange rates

Urbanisation

• About two-fifths of people urban; rising.
• Karachi: largest city and port; Lahore: Punjab capital; both megacities.
• Opportunities: jobs, universities, innovation, investment, transport projects.
• Challenges: informal jobs, housing shortage, katchi abadis, congestion, smog, sewage.
• Strategies: low-cost housing; settlement upgrading (Orangi Pilot Project); mass transit (Lahore Orange Line, bus rapid transit); pollution controls.

Worked example

Question: Explain why the tertiary sector has grown in Pakistan. [4]

Model answer: As incomes rise and cities grow, demand for shops, transport, banking and health care increases [1]. Mechanisation has reduced farm jobs, so workers move into urban service work [1]. Better education and internet access have created IT and call-centre jobs [1]. Government spending on education, health and administration also employs many people [1].

Common mistakes and exam traps

• Saying agriculture is “no longer important”. Its share of GDP has fallen, but it still employs the largest single share of workers.
• Confusing GDP and HDI. HDI includes health and education, not just income.
• Listing push and pull factors without impacts. The specification asks about impacts on culture, economy and society.
• Ignoring remittances in balance-of-trade answers. They are named in the specification.

How is this topic examined?

This topic is examined in OxfordAQA 9236 Paper 2, Section B, worth 28 of the paper’s 77 marks; each paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes. The section mixes multiple-choice, short and extended response questions on this compulsory topic. Short items reward precise named facts, so learn the dates, places and people in the tables above; the extended responses reward a clear line of argument, two or three developed points with evidence, and a judgement that answers the question.

Frequently asked questions

Why are Karachi and Lahore so large? Karachi has the main seaport and industry; Lahore is a historic capital with industry, services and universities. Both attract migrants from across Pakistan.

What is GSP+? An EU trade scheme that removes or lowers tariffs on many Pakistani exports, in return for commitments on human rights, labour and environmental standards.

Related pages

• People and Economy study guide
• People and Economy practice questions
• Landscape revision notes

Source: OxfordAQA, International GCSE Pakistan Studies (9236) specification, Version 1.9, topic 3.2.2.