Official statistics are a public good. Their value depends not only on accuracy, but also on public trust, professional independence, equal access, confidentiality, timeliness, usability and the ability of people and machines to discover and reuse them. This Policy establishes a modern, risk-based and user-centred framework for dissemination by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics . The Policy also covers microdata of surveys conducted by PBS.
The Policy adopts “open by default, confidential by design and equal access” as its operating rule. Aggregate statistics, publications, anonymized microdata of surveys conducted by PBS, metadata and non-confidential datasets shall normally be released free of charge under an open license, in accessible human-readable and machine-readable formats. Microdata access related to Census, Industry and Agriculture shall instead be determined through proportionate tiers ranging from Public Use Files to licensed files and secure-use arrangements, with non-disseminate able data reserved where risks cannot be adequately controlled.
Rationale and Scope
The Policy operationalises PBS’s mandate under the General Statistics (Re-organization) Act, 2011, and complements the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics 2021-2030. It applies to PBS-produced censuses, surveys, indices, dashboards, APIs, metadata and microdata services.
Vision, Mission and Strategic Objectives
Trusted official statistics available to everyone in Pakistan at the right time, in the right form, with confidentiality protected.
Access Classification (Four Tiers)
| Tier | Description |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Open Aggregate | Tables, indicators, publications, metadata, code lists, non-confidential APIs |
| Tier 2 — Public Use Files | Anonymized microdata with documentation/weights |
| Tier 3 — Data Licensed Scientific Files | Anonymized microdata with extra variables — application, institutional endorsement, Non Declaration Agreement (NDA) |
| Tier 4 — Non-Disseminable | Identifiable source data, frames, credentials — no external release; authorized internal/inter-agency use only. |
Specifically classified PBS assets includesblock maps/shapefiles/geo-coordinates, complete census microdata, block-level data, and sampling/area frames.
Licensing, Reuse and Charging
Tier 1/2 products and Public Use Files carry a standard open government licence permitting copying, adaptation and commercial/non-commercial reuse with attribution. Standard publications, tables, metadata, anonymized microdata, PUFs and ordinary downloads stay free at point of use (free of cost for Ministries, Government bodies and International Organizations); nominal cost charges apply only to exceptional customized tabulations, resource-intensive processing or physical/secure-environment services, with waivers for students and publicly funded research.
| Type of data | Semi Govt. / Private Organizations and Educational Research Institutions |
|---|---|
| Foreign Trade data set: (Export/Import Country by Commodity or commodity by country) | |
| For one – two months/quarter | Rs. 5,000 |
| For one – two years | Rs. 8,000 |
| For three – five years | Rs. 10,000 |
| Price Data, per data set of Consumer Price Index (CPI) & Sensitive Price Index (SPI) or Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for one month | Rs. 500 |
| Customized aggregated Census Data/Reports up till 5 variables (for more than 5 variables: Rs. 1,000 each additional indicator) | Rs. 5,000 |
| Map product | Size | Private (PKR) | Government (PKR) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hard | Soft | Hard | Soft | ||
| Mouza/Deh Map | A3 | 750 | 900 | 500 | 600 |
| Tehsil/Taluka Map showing Revenue Estate | Arch E (48 × 36 inches) | 3,750 | 4,500 | 2,500 | 3,000 |
| District Map showing Tehsil, QH, PC and boundary | Arch E (48 × 36 inches) | 3,750 | 4,500 | 2,500 | 3,000 |
| Urban Area Master Map | A1 / Arch E | 3,000 | 3,600 | 2,500 | 3,000 |
| Rural/Urban Census Charge/QH Map | A3 | 1,500 | 1,800 | 1,250 | 1,500 |
| Rural/Urban Census Circle/PC Map | A3 | 1,250 | 1,500 | 1,000 | 1,200 |
| Rural/Urban Census Block Map for selected blocks only | A4 | 1,000 | 1,200 | 750 | 900 |
(1) Non-confidential standard maps that PBS publishes in reports for general download shall remain free. Charges may apply to physical copies, soft copies prepared on request, customized map products for selected blocks only for Surveys or Researh Purpose. Charges will also be applied on sample-selection services, area-frame support and other non-standard technical services as per approved policy.
(2) Soft-copy products may be priced above hard copies because a digital JPG/PDF product can be stored, reproduced and reused after purchase. Government-rate eligibility shall be verified under PBS administrative and financial rules.
(3) All maps/products prepared, maintained or disseminated by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), irrespective of their type, scale, format, or purpose, shall be disseminated exclusively through the PBS Headquarters, Islamabad after approval and signing of MOU if required.
Deposit of Sale Procedures
The Payment in Pak rupees will be deposited to the Government Treasury/National Bank of Pakistan, Main Branch, Islamabad under the appropriate Head of Accounts as under:
C 02401 – SALES OF CENSUS PUBLICATIONS for Maps, Reports/Tables and Sample Design
C 02470 – Statistics – OTHERS for Tablets , Construction Material reports etc.