Market Research Companies in Lahore

Key figures for researchers

Population

13.0 million in Lahore District, all urban (2023 census)¹

Lahore Division

22.77 million, with an annual growth of 2.72% since 2017 (2023 census)²

Men / women

6.88 million / 6.12 million (2023 census)¹

Under 15 / 65 and over

35.8% / 3.5% (2023 census)¹

Mother tongues

Punjabi 73.6%, Urdu 21.1%, Pashto 2.1%, Mewati 2.0% (2023 census)¹

Literacy (10+)

79.6% (2023 census)¹

Household size

6.2 to 6.7 people in the main urban areas (2023 census)³

Smog

AQI 1,110 (“Hazardous”) in Lahore on 15 November 2024⁵

Monsoon flooding

the Ravi in “exceptionally high flood” at Shahdara in August 2025⁹

Research guide

Research landscape

Lahore is the capital of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, and is described by the Punjab government as the cultural capital of the country. With Karachi and Islamabad, it is one of the main bases of Pakistan’s research agencies. Agencies in Lahore cover consumer, retail, media and B2B studies, and often run fieldwork across the rest of Punjab.

Who you will interview

Lahore District had 13.0 million people at the 2023 census, all counted as urban, and 22.77 million live in the wider Lahore Division. The population is young: 35.8% are under 15 and only 3.5% are 65 or over. There are 6.88 million men for 6.12 million women.

Punjabi is the mother tongue of 73.6% of residents and Urdu of 21.1%, with small Pashto and Mewati communities. Questionnaires are usually written in Urdu, but interviewers should be comfortable in Punjabi, especially with older and less educated respondents. The literacy rate is 79.6% for people aged 10 and over, higher than the national average, but interviewer-administered methods are still needed for part of the population.

Fieldwork in practice

Most of the population lives in the Lahore Metropolitan Corporation, which spans the Lahore City, Model Town, Shalimar, Raiwind and Lahore Cantonment tehsils, plus the Walton and Lahore cantonments. Sampling by tehsil helps balance the old city, the older central neighbourhoods and the newer suburbs. Households are large: 6.2 to 6.7 people on average in the main urban areas.

Many better-off households live in planned housing societies such as DHA (Defence Housing Authority), with their own gates and security staff. Interviewers usually need prior permission or an appointment to enter, so plan access early for upper-income targets or use pre-recruited, telephone or online samples.

Focus groups and qualitative research

Focus groups are usually held in agency premises or rented venues, often in separate groups for men and women, and moderated in Urdu or Punjabi. Allow for traffic and travel time when you plan evening groups, especially in winter when fog slows traffic in the evening and early morning.

Ask the agency for recruitment lead times, incentive levels and backup online sessions in case schools, offices or public spaces close during smog episodes.

Timing

Smog in late autumn and winter, worst in November, is the main local constraint. In November 2024 the AQI reached 1,110 in Lahore; the Punjab government closed schools in 18 districts including Lahore, asked 50% of offices to work from home, and Lahore’s markets were ordered to close by 8 pm; heavy vehicles were banned from the city until 31 January 2025. Air quality improved in November 2025 (daily PM2.5 peak of 237 µg/m³ against 539 in November 2024), but dense fog still closed motorways around Lahore in December 2025. Keep spare days and online options in winter schedules.

The monsoon (July to September) can flood low-lying suburbs: in August 2025 the Ravi was in “exceptionally high flood” at Shahdara and several housing societies were flooded. Ramadan and the Eids move earlier every year (Eid al-Fitr on 21–23 March and Eid al-Adha on 27–29 May in 2026). Also plan around Ashura (25–26 June in 2026), Independence Day (14 August) and Basant, the kite festival that returned in February 2026 after a ban of more than two decades.

Working with a Lahore agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, tehsils or areas, method, languages and deadline.
• Ask how the agency gets access to DHA and other gated housing societies, and whether female interviewers are available.
• Ask how fieldwork is planned during smog season and the monsoon, and what happens if schools, offices or markets close.
• Ask about quality control: back-checks, GPS or audio checks for face-to-face interviews, supervision of CATI calls.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 Lahore companies from this page.

National rules (data protection, holidays, sampling across regions) are covered in our guide to market research in Pakistan.