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ISLAMABAD:
Despite registering 31.9 million births at the union council level in 2025, these records are yet to be uploaded to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), according to the authority’s latest performance report.
The report, recently submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, notes that NADRA now has 227 million people on its central register, covering almost 97% of the country’s population. Of the registered population, 52% are men and 48% women.
NADRA’s biometric repository is extensive, containing facial data of 170 million people, iris scans of seven million and more than 1.68 billion fingerprints, highlighting the authority’s digital reach. In 2025 alone, the agency processed 445 million biometric verifications.
The report highlights substantial increases in citizen registration throughout the year. Overall, national registration increased 4%, registrations for children under 18 increased 11%, renewals of expired ID cards increased 24%, and cancellations following deaths increased 900%. Women’s enrollment also grew by 8%, reflecting progress toward gender inclusion.
At the end of the year, 938 registration centers were operational throughout the country. NADRA opened 75 new centers and 138 new counters, while adding 126 counters in existing offices.
Mobile registration services remained active through 231 vans, including 33 satellite-enabled units for remote locations. At the local UC level, 62 windows continued to operate and six new windows were established abroad to serve overseas Pakistanis.
Digital services also saw significant adoption. The Pak Identity mobile app handled 15% of NADRA’s workload, with over 12 million downloads, allowing citizens to access services without visiting physical centres.
The report also notes policy milestones in 2025. The federal government approved the National Biometric Registration and Policy Framework, introduced amendments to ID card regulations, launched biometric registration certificates for children up to three years old, and gave family registration certificates formal legal status.
While NADRA’s database now covers most of the population, the report acknowledges that gaps remain, particularly in the registration of women and young children in some areas.
To reach remote and underserved regions, 231 mobile registration vans were deployed, including 33 satellite units, complemented by Minipacs and motorcycle teams that provided services at the Union Council level, where 62 counters remained active. Overseas Pakistanis also saw better access to documentation through the establishment of six new windows in five different countries.
A major milestone in the authority’s digital shift was the performance of the Pak Identity mobile application, which handled 15 percent of NADRA’s overall workload. The application, whose downloads exceeded 12 million, allowed millions of citizens to complete their documentation procedures from home without going to a NADRA center.
