KARACHI:The number of registered voters aged between 18 and 35 years has risen by more than nine million, making them a significant demographic that could sway the results of future elections if they are persuaded to vote. Voter statistics released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) indicate that the total number of young voters had reached 55.74 million as of March 28, accounting for 44.36% of the total registered voters, which now stands at over 125.6 million.

Over 23.1 million or 18% of the total eligible voters are aged between 18 and 25 years, while 32.6 million or 26% are aged between 26 and 35 years. Political analysts believe that the massive number of young voters, many of whom actively use social media, could have a decisive impact on election results in several constituencies if they come out in significant numbers on polling day.

Of the young voters under the age of 25, more than half (12.53 million) reside in Punjab, followed by 4.83 million in Sindh, 4.47 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1.09 million in Balochistan, and 0.18 million in Islamabad. Of the 32.62 million voters aged between 26 and 35 years, 18.44 million are in Punjab, followed by 6.49 million in Sindh, 6.04 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1.38 million in Balochistan, and 0.25 million in the federal capital.