The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) has released a report revealing a historic 48% voter turnout among youth in the 2024 General Elections, marking an all-time high.
This represents an 11% increase from the 2018 elections, where youth turnout stood at 37%.
The report highlights that youth voter participation surpassed the overall voter turnout, which saw a decline compared to the last election. A significant 44.2% of registered voters aged 18 to 35 participated in the election, emphasizing the growing political engagement of the younger population.
In terms of political party ticket distribution to youth candidates, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) allocated 28% of its tickets to youth in 2024, down from 36% in 2018. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) reduced its youth representation from 18% in 2018 to 11% in 2024.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) maintained a 17% youth representation in 2018, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) increased its youth tickets from 17% in 2018 to 19% in 2024. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) offered 11% of its tickets to youth, down from 13% in 2018.
A PILDAT survey included in the report shows that 48% of the youth believe inflation is the country's biggest challenge, followed by unemployment at 45%, and religious extremism at 31%.