<P> Lower than expected population figures from the census suggest that Karachi's poor infrastructure, law and order situation, and weakened economy relative to other parts of Pakistan made the city less attractive to in - migration than previously thought . The figure is disputed by all the major political parties in Sindh) Karachi's population grew by 59.8% since the 1998 census to 14.9 million, while Lahore city grew 75.3%--though Karachi's census district had not been altered by the provincial government since 1998, while Lahore's had been expanded by Punjab's government, leading to some of Karachi's growth to have occurred outside the city's census boundaries . Karachi's population had grown at a rate of 3.49% between the 1981 and 1998 census, leading many analysts to estimate Karachi's 2017 population to be approximately 18 million by extrapolating a continued annual growth rate of 3.49% . Some had expected that the city's population to be between 22 and 30 million, which would require an annual growth rate accelerating to between 4.6% and 6.33% . </P> <P> Political parties in the province have suggested the city's population has been underestimated in a deliberate attempt to undermine the political power of the city and province . Senator Taj Haider from the PPP claimed he had official documents revealing the city's population to be 25.6 million in 2013, while the Sindh Bureau of Statistics, part of by the PPP - led provincial administration, estimated Karachi's 2016 population to be 19.1 million . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="4"> (show) Population growth </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Pop . </Th> <Th> </Th> <Th>% ± </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1729 </Td> <Td> 250 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td>--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1838 </Td> <Td> 14,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 5500.0% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1842 </Td> <Td> 15,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 7.1% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1850 </Td> <Td> 16,773 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 11.8% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1856 </Td> <Td> 22,227 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 32.5% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1861 </Td> <Td> 56,859 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 155.8% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1881 </Td> <Td> 73,560 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 29.4% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1891 </Td> <Td> 105,199 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 43.0% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1901 </Td> <Td> 136,297 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 29.6% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1911 </Td> <Td> 186,771 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 37.0% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1921 </Td> <Td> 244,162 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 30.7% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1931 </Td> <Td> 300,779 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 23.2% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1941 </Td> <Td> 435,887 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 44.9% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1951 </Td> <Td> 1,137,667 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 161.0% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1961 </Td> <Td> 2,044,044 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 79.7% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1972 </Td> <Td> 3,606,744 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 76.5% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1981 </Td> <Td> 5,437,984 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 50.8% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1986 </Td> <Td> 7,443,663 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 36.9% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1998 </Td> <Td> 9,802,134 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 31.7% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> 14,910,352 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 52.1% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Source: † Large population rise between 1941 and 1951 due to large - scale migration after independence in 1947 . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="4"> (show) Population growth </Th> </Tr>

7 centers of style in the city of light