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About 99% of languages spoken in Pakistan are Indo-Iranian (sub-branches: 75% Indo-Aryan and 24% Iranian), a branch of Indo-European family of languages. Most languages of Pakistan are written in the Perso-Arabic script, with significant vocabulary derived from Arabic and Farsi. Punjabi (Shahmukhi), Seraiki, Sindhi, Pashto, Urdu (Indian), Balochi, Kashmiri (Koshur), etc. are the general languages spoken within Pakistan. The large majority of Pakistanis belong to the Indo-Aryan ethnic group although a few are Iranic peoples or Dravidians. These major ethnic groups are broken down into several principal ethnic groups in Pakistan: Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Muhajirs, Seraikis, Balochis, Hindkos, Memon, Bohra, Ismaili, and other smaller groups.

Major ethnic groups in Pakistan and surrounding areas, 1980

According to the latest census,^{[citation needed]} the population comprises several main ethnic groups:

1. Punjabis (44.15% of the population)
2. Pakhtuns (15.42%)
3. Sindhis (14.1%)
4. Seraikis (10.53%)
5. Muhajirs (7.57%)
6. Balochis (3.57%)
7. Others (4.66%) including dispersed Kashmiris form Indian-held Kashmir.

Smaller ethnic groups, such as Turwalis, Kafiristanis, Burusho, Hindko, Brahui, Kashmiris, Khowar, and Shina, are mainly found in the northern parts of the country. Pakistan's census does not include the sizeable refugee population from neighbouring Afghanistan, who are found mainly in the NWFP, Balochistan, and Karachi. From the 1980s, Pakistan has accommodated over four million Afghan refugees — the largest refugee population in the world, including Pakhtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmen, Hazaras, etc. If the Afghan refugees were also added to the official population, total figures would alter the percentages of Pakhtuns and the category of others. Most of the Afghan refugees have permanently settled in Pakistan due to continuing violence in Afghanistan. In addition, the people of the Potohar Plateau in Northern Punjab, (Potoharis) are sometimes listed seperatly from Punjabis. This would tend to decrease the Punjabs population further. A large number of Bengalis, Arabs, Burmese, and African Muslim refugees have also permanently settled in Karachi, whilst hundreds of thousands of Iranian migrants are scattered throughout the country. There are also communities of Chinese, Arab, and Greek descent.