View source for Sukkur

{{About||the district|Sukkur district|other uses|Sukkur (disambiguation)|and|Sukkar (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=December 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Sukkur
| official_name      = 
| native_name        = {{hlist|{{lang|sd|{{Naskh|سکر}}}}|{{lang|ur|{{nq|سکھر}}}}}}
| settlement_type    = [[Metropolis]]
| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage
|photo1a=Rohri.jpg
|photo2a=Sukkur Barrage (Night View) - panoramio.jpg
|photo2b=Spring Flower in IBA Sukkur.jpg
|photo3a=Sukkur IBA University - academic block I (2).jpg
|size    =270
|border  = 0|position=center}}
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = '''Clockwise from top''': [[Lansdowne Bridge Rohri|Lansdowne Bridge]] and the modern [[Ayub Bridge]]; Spring flowers; [[Sukkur IBA University|IBA University]]; and night view of [[Sukkur Barrage]]
| image_map          = 
| map_alt            = 
| map_caption        = Location of Sukkur
| coordinates        = {{Coord|27|42|22|N|68|50|54|E|type:city_region:PK|display=inline,title}}
| image_seal         = Sukkur Municipal Corporation.png
| image_blank_emblem = 
| blank_emblem_type  = Emblem
| pushpin_map        = Sindh#Pakistan
| pushpin_map_alt    = 
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{PAK}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Provinces of Pakistan|Province]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flagicon|Sindh}} [[Sindh]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Divisions of Pakistan|Division]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Sukkur Division|Sukkur]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Districts of Pakistan#Sindh|District]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Sukkur District|Sukkur]]
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |title=Sindh: Province and Major Cities, Municipalities & Towns|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/pakistan/cities/sindh|website= Sindh: Province and Major Cities, Municipalities & Towns |publisher=Citypopulation.de |access-date=4 December 2021}}</ref>
| population_total   = 563851
| population_rank    = [[List of largest cities in Pakistan|17th, Pakistan]]
| population_as_of   = [[2023 Pakistani census|2023]] census
| total_type         = [[City]]
| area_total_km2     = 300
| area_metro_km2     = 5165
| elevation_m        = 67
| elevation_m_min    = 
| elevation_m_max    = 
| population_density_km2 = auto
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = Municipal Corporation
| leader_title       = [[Mayor of Sukkur]]
| leader_name        = None (Vacant)<ref name="dawn">{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1577300|title=Local bodies across province dissolved after completion of term|date=1 September 2020|access-date=6 January 2022|work=Dawn|location=Pakistan}}</ref>
| title              = 
| leader_title1      = Commissioner
| leader_name1       = Fayyaz Hussain Abbasi(BPS-20 PCS)
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 1862
| blank_name_sec1    = Number of towns
| blank_info_sec1    = 4
| blank_name_sec2    = Number of [[Union councils of Pakistan|Union councils]]
| blank_info_sec2    = 20
| postal_code_type   = [[Postal codes in Pakistan|Postal code]]
| postal_code        = 65200
| area_code          = 
| area_code_type     = [[List of dialling codes of Pakistan|Calling code]]
| timezone1          = [[Pakistan Standard Time|PKT]]
| utc_offset1        = +5
| website            = {{URL|smc.gos.pk}}
| footnotes          = {{cite web |url=http://www.sukkur.gov.pk |title=About District |website=District Government Sukkur |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209135824/http://www.sukkur.gov.pk/ |archive-date=9 February 2012}}
| leader_title2      = Regional Police Officer (RPO)
| leader_name2       = Faisal Abdullah Chachar
 ([[Police Service of Pakistan|BPS-20 PSP]])
}}

'''Sukkur'''{{efn|{{Langx|sd|{{Naskh|سکر}}}}; {{Langx|ur|{{nq|سكھر}}}}}} is a city in the [[Pakistan]]i province of [[Sindh]] along the western bank of the [[Indus River]], directly across from the historic city of [[Rohri]]. Sukkur is the [[List of cities in Sindh by population|third largest city]] in [[Sindh]] after [[Karachi]] and [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]], and [[List of most populous cities in Pakistan|17th largest city of Pakistan]] by population.<ref name="Population city">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tageo.com/index-e-pk-cities-PK.htm|title=Pakistan City & Town Population List|access-date=4 December 2021|publisher=Tageo.com website}}</ref><ref name="citypopulation.de">{{cite web|url=http://www.citypopulation.de/Pakistan-100T.html|title=Pakistan: Provinces and Major Cities – Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information|website=citypopulation.de|access-date=4 December 2021}}</ref> The city was originally founded by the [[Rai dynasty]] of Sindh. The modern city was built in the 1840s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Morris |first1=Neil|title=Sukkur |journal=Dictionary Plus Social Sciences |date=21 April 2016 |doi=10.1093/acref/9780191823534.001.0001/acref-9780191823534-e-1260 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191823534.001.0001/acref-9780191823534-e-1260 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en}}</ref> New Sukkur was established during the [[British Raj|British era]] alongside the village of Sukkur. Sukkur's hill, along with the hill on the river island of [[Bukkur]], form what is sometimes considered the "Gate of Sindh".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Burton|first1=Richard|title=Sindh and the Races That Inhabit the Valley of the Indus|date=1851|publisher=Asian Educational Services|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gO6pPmYjF5MC&q=sukkur+sindh&pg=PA9|access-date=19 December 2017|isbn=9788120607583}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The name Sukkur is derived from the [[Sindhi language]] word '''''sakhar''''' meaning ''''''superior''''''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Everett-Heath |first1=John |title=Sukkur |journal=Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names |date=22 October 2020 |doi=10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001/acref-9780191905636-e-11213 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001/acref-9780191905636-e-11213 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en}}</ref>

== History ==
The region around Sukkur had been inhabited for millennia. The ruins of [[Lakhueen-jo-daro|Lakhan-jo-daro]], located near an industrial park on the outskirts of Sukkur,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hyder|first1=Ali|title=Brief Description of Archaeological Sites and Monuments of Sindh |url=https://www.academia.edu/11300512|access-date=19 December 2017|via=Academia.edu}}</ref> date from the [[Indus Valley Civilisation#Mature Harappan|Mature Harappan]] period of the [[Indus Valley Civilization]], between 2600 BCE and 1900 BCE. It covers more than 300 hectares of area and is touted to be second largest city of the Indus Valley Civilization, just 75 kilometers away from another ancient major city of the civilization, [[Mohenjo-daro|Mohenjo Daro]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Collecting samples from a Lakhueen-jo-daro trial trench |url=http://ancient.sindh.ws/hphs/15.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080422174251/http://ancient.sindh.ws/hphs/15.htm|archive-date=2008-04-22|url-status=dead}}</ref>

By the 12th century, [[Rohri]] and Sukkur had been incorporated in dominion of the [[Bhati]] Rajputs.<ref name=TK>{{Cite book|last=Kothiyal|first=Tanuja|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=be-7CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA56|title=Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian|publisher=Cambridgre University Press|year=2016|isbn=9781107080317|page=72}}</ref> 
[[File:Temple Sadh Belo.jpg|thumb|left|Sukkur is home of the Hindu [[Sadh Belo]] shrine.]]

"Old Sukkur" was initially a small village prior to the establishment of a military garrison in 1839. Sukkur was built on a low limestone ridge on the banks of the [[Indus River]].<ref name="ross">{{cite book |last1=Ross |first1=David|title=The land of the five rivers and Sindh|date=1883|publisher=Chapman and Hall|url=https://archive.org/details/landfiveriversa00rossgoog|quote=sukkur.|access-date=19 December 2017}}</ref> The city was once surrounded by groves of [[date palm]]s that were traditionally believed to have grown from the discarded date-pits from Arab invaders in the 8th century.<ref name="ross" />

[[File:Mir Masum's Minar and tomb 3.jpg|thumb|left|Sukkur's Shrine of [[Masum Shah]] and adjacent minaret dates from 1607.]]
The village of Sukkur was directly across from the larger town of [[Rohri]], which served as a busy port along the Indus by the 1200s, and was a major trading centre for agricultural produce.<ref name=bowden/> An {{Convert|86|foot|m|abbr=}} tall minaret was built at Sukkur's shrine of Mir [[Masum Shah]] in 1607.<ref name="ross"/>

=== British ===
[[File:Landsdown Bridge, Sukkur, Sindh.jpg|thumb|Completed in 1889, the [[Lansdowne Bridge (Pakistan)|Lansdowne Bridge]] displays elements of British military architecture.]]
[[File:Sukkur Barrage in daylight.jpg|thumb|The [[Sukkur Barrage]], completed in 1932, forms part of one of the world's largest irrigation projects.]]
Modern Sukkur, or '''New Sukkur''', was built during British rule alongside what was once a small village directly across from the historic city of [[Rohri]]. The British established a military garrison here in 1839,<ref name=william/> which was abandoned in 1845, though Sukkur continued to grow in importance as a trading center.<ref name=william>{{cite book|last1=Hughes|first1=Albert William|title=A Gazetteer of the Province of Sind|publisher=G. Bell and Sons|date=1876|url=https://archive.org/details/agazetteerprovi00unkngoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/agazetteerprovi00unkngoog/page/n712 677]|quote=aror .|access-date=19 December 2017}}</ref> The Sukkur Municipality was constituted in 1862.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Sukkur|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Sukkur|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=4 December 2021}}</ref>

Completed in 1889, Sukkur's [[Lansdowne Bridge Rohri|Lansdowne Bridge]] connects the Sukkur to [[Rohri]] across the Indus, and was one of the first bridges to cross the river. The bridge made the journey between [[Karachi]] and [[Multan]] easier. The bridge was built with two large pylons rather than a series of pillars extending across the river – a cutting-edge design for such an expansive span.<ref name="sukk">{{cite web|title=History of Sukkur|url=http://oldsukkur.org/history_of_sukkur|website=Old Sukkur|publisher=Sindhi Association of India|access-date=5 December 2021}}</ref> The bridge was also made of metal, and features an unusual design.

[[Sukkur Barrage]] (formerly called Lloyd Barrage), built under the [[British Raj]] on the [[Indus River]], controls one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. It was designed by Sir Arnold Musto KCIE, and constructed under the overall direction of [[Sir Charlton Harrison]] between 1923 and 1932. The {{convert|5001|ft|m}} long barrage is made of yellow stone and steel and can water nearly 10 million acres (40,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of farmland through its seven large canals.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.dawn.com/news/1029295|title = Rule violations threaten Sukkur Barrage|date = 16 July 2013|access-date =4 December 2021|work=Dawn|location=Pakistan|last = Kiani|first = Khaleeq}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hpsukkur.brinkster.net/barrage.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330232609/http://hpsukkur.brinkster.net/barrage.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-03-30 |title=Sukkur Barrage |website=Brinkster.net website|access-date=4 December 2021}}</ref>

On the eve of the [[Partition of British India]] in 1947, Sukkur's old town was home to about 10,000 residents, while New Sukkur was home to 80,000.<ref name="sukk"/>

===Modern===
After the [[Partition of India|formation]] of [[Pakistan]] most of the city's Hindu population migrated to India, though like much of Sindh, Sukkur did not experience the widespread rioting that occurred in Punjab and Bengal.<ref name=kumar>{{cite journal|last1=Kumar|first1=Priya|title=Sindh, 1947 and Beyond|journal=South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies|volume=39|issue=4|date=2 December 2016|pages=773–789 |doi=10.1080/00856401.2016.1244752|doi-access=free}}</ref> According to the [[1941 Census of India|1941 census]], about 70% of the population of Sukkur was Hindu, this number decreased to 2% by the [[1951 Census of Pakistan|1951 census]] as a result of the partition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/ideologie/data/CensusIndia/CensusIndia1941/Census%20of%20India%201941.pdf|title=INDIA – Part I – Tables|work=[[1941 Census of India|Census of India 1941]]|page=90|access-date=27 April 2022|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815164109/http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/ideologie/data/CensusIndia/CensusIndia1941/Census%20of%20India%201941.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://lsi.gov.in:8081/jspui/bitstream/123456789/7452/1/1422_1951_POP.pdf |title=Population According to Religion|work=[[1951 Census of Pakistan|Census of Pakistan, 1951]] |pages=8, 22}}</ref> However, less than 500 Hindus were killed in all of Sindh between 1947 and 1948 as Sindhi Muslims largely resisted calls to turn against their Hindu neighbours.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chitkara|first1=M. G.|title=Mohajir's Pakistan|date=1996|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-8170247463|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8lv8tMHE9AC&q=%22less+than+500+Hindus+were+killed+in+Sindh%22&pg=PA8 |access-date=5 December 2021}}</ref> Hindus did not flee Sukkur ''en masse'' until riots erupted in Karachi on 6 January 1948, which sowed fear in Sindh's Hindus despite the fact that the riots were local and related to Sikh refugees from Punjab seeking refuge in Karachi.<ref name=kumar/> Muslim refugees from India settled in Sukkur.

The Sindh Industrial Trading Estate in Sukkur was established in 1950. The [[Ayub Bridge]] was built in 1962, and spans the Indus River alongside the British era [[Lansdowne Bridge (Pakistan)|Landsdowne Bridge]]. The city suffered major flooding during the [[2010 Pakistan floods]] which inundated large parts of the city.

==Geography==
{{multiple image |align=center |total_width=600
|image1=Sukkur Skyline along the shores of the River Indus.jpg|caption1=Skyline of Sukkur City along the shores of the River Indus
|image2=Boat outside Municipal Stadium Sukkur.jpg|caption2=Boat at the door of Municipal Stadium Sukkur
}}

The small [[Eocene]] limestone outcropping upon which Sukkur was founded is the most significant land deformation on the vast plains along the Indus Valley in Sindh and Punjab.<ref name="johnF">{{cite book |last1=Shroder Jr.|first1=John F.|title=Himalaya to the Sea: Geology, Geomorphology and the Quaternary |date=2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1134919772|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AfWJAgAAQBAJ&q=sukkur |access-date=19 December 2017}}</ref> The outcropping is part of the "Jacobabad-Khairpur High" and [[Rohri Hills]].<ref name="johnF"/> The outcropping, along with the similar outcropping on Bukkar Island are sometimes referred to as the "Sukkur Gorge," and has historically served as the traditional northern boundary of Sindh.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Flint|first1=Eric|title=The Dance of Time|date=2006|publisher=Baen Books|isbn=978-1416509318 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sbDxkzAn6KMC&q=sukkur&pg=PT351|access-date=19 December 2017}}</ref>
[[File:Sukkur Pakistan Haddid - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Date palms in Sukkur.]]

==Climate==
Sukkur has a [[hot desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BWh''), characterised by extremely hot and hazy summers with mild and foggy winters. Sukkur is known for its extremely hot summers, and was described as the hottest city in [[British India]].<ref name=william/> Wind speed is low throughout the year, and sunshine is abundant. Summer temperatures regularly surpass {{convert|50|°C|°F|abbr=on}}. Dry heat is experienced starting April to early June until the [[Monsoon]] season starts to arrive. Monsoons in Sukkur are not very wet, but bring high [[dew point]]s, resulting in high heat indices. Monsoons recede by September, but it is not until late October that the short lived autumn season is experienced before the onset of the region's cool winters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/OPSK/date/2013-7-6?mr=1|title=Sukkur, Pakistan History|website=Weather Underground}}</ref> The average annual rainfall of Sukkur is {{cvt|159.6|mm}} and mainly occurs in the monsoon season. The highest annual rainfall ever is {{cvt|698|mm}}, recorded in 2022 and the lowest annual rainfall ever is 0&nbsp;mm in 1941.

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Sukkur 
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 31.0
|Feb record high C = 38.0
|Mar record high C = 45.0
|Apr record high C = 49.0
|May record high C = 50.5
|Jun record high C = 50.5
|Jul record high C = 46.5
|Aug record high C = 44.5
|Sep record high C = 43.5
|Oct record high C = 41.6
|Nov record high C = 37.2
|Dec record high C = 31.0
|Jan high C = 24.8
|Feb high C = 26.2
|Mar high C = 32.4
|Apr high C = 39.2
|May high C = 43.3
|Jun high C = 43.2
|Jul high C = 41.0
|Aug high C = 39.1
|Sep high C = 37.9
|Oct high C = 35.6
|Nov high C = 30.3
|Dec high C = 24.8
|Jan mean C = 16.5
|Feb mean C = 18.2
|Mar mean C = 23.9
|Apr mean C = 30.1
|May mean C = 34.6
|Jun mean C = 35.7
|Jul mean C = 34.7
|Aug mean C = 33.2
|Sep mean C = 31.4
|Oct mean C = 27.8
|Nov mean C = 21.7
|Dec mean C = 16.5
|Jan low C = 8.3
|Feb low C = 10.2
|Mar low C = 15.4
|Apr low C = 21.1
|May low C = 25.9
|Jun low C = 28.3
|Jul low C = 28.4
|Aug low C = 27.3
|Sep low C = 24.9
|Oct low C = 20.0
|Nov low C = 13.2
|Dec low C = 8.3
|Jan record low C = 1.0
|Feb record low C = 0.5
|Mar record low C = 3.0
|Apr record low C = 9.5
|May record low C = 16.5
|Jun record low C = 19.5
|Jul record low C = 20.8
|Aug record low C = 17.5
|Sep record low C = 19.5
|Oct record low C = 12.4
|Nov record low C = 5.0
|Dec record low C = -1.5
|Jan precipitation mm = 3.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 7.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 6.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 5.7
|May precipitation mm = 15.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 24.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 40.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 40.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 0.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 3.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 10.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 9.4
|Jan precipitation days = 0.3
|Feb precipitation days = 0.6
|Mar precipitation days = 0.8
|Apr precipitation days = 0.4
|May precipitation days = 0.4
|Jun precipitation days = 3.5
|Jul precipitation days = 4.0
|Aug precipitation days = 2.6
|Sep precipitation days = 0.1
|Oct precipitation days = 0.1
|Nov precipitation days = 0.1
|Dec precipitation days = 0.3
|Jan humidity = 52
|Feb humidity = 48
|Mar humidity = 39
|Apr humidity = 28
|May humidity = 29
|Jun humidity = 38
|Jul humidity = 49
|Aug humidity = 56
|Sep humidity = 52
|Oct humidity = 46
|Nov humidity = 47
|Dec humidity = 52
|Jan sun = 276
|Feb sun = 294
|Mar sun = 318
|Apr sun = 345
|May sun = 363
|Jun sun = 372
|Jul sun = 357
|Aug sun = 336
|Sep sun = 321
|Oct sun = 309
|Nov sun = 288
|Dec sun = 276
|source 1 =PMD (1991–2020)<ref name= PMD>{{cite web
  |url = http://ffd.pmd.gov.pk/cp/ffd.php
  |title = Flood Forecasting Division Lahore 
  |access-date = 24 February 2020}}</ref>
|source 2 =climate-data<ref name= climate-data>{{cite web
  |url = https://en.climate-data.org/asia/pakistan/sindh/sukkur-1227/
  |title = Climate Sukkur (Pakistan) 
  |access-date = 2 June 2022}}</ref>
}}

==Demography==
{{historical populations|align=
| cols = 1|percentages=pagr
|1872| 38107
|1881| 42496
|1891| 42004
|1901| 49491
|1911| 53944
|1921| 55503
|1951| 218,320
|1961| 272,270
|1972| ...
|1981| ...
|1998| 374,550
|2017| 551,357
|2023| 563,851}}

Sukkur is the third largest city in Sindh after [[Karachi]] and [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]].<ref name="citypopulation.de"/> The population of Sukkur is 551,357 according to the [[2017 Census of Pakistan]].<ref name="2017 census">{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/PAKISTAN%20TEHSIL%20WISE%20FOR%20WEB%20CENSUS_2017.pdf |title=Province Wise Provincial Results of Census - 2017 |publisher=[[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]] |website=pbs.gov.pk |access-date=16 February 2020 |archive-date=16 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616161839/http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/PAKISTAN%20TEHSIL%20WISE%20FOR%20WEB%20CENSUS_2017.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Around 70% of the population speaks Sindhi natively, while 20% of the population speaks Urdu natively.

'''Languages'''

{{Pie chart
| caption = Languages of '''Sukkur''' (2023)
| value1 = 71.4
| label1 = [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]
| color1 = gold
| value2 = 20.53
| label2 = [[Urdu]]
| color2 = Green
| value3 = 3.01
| label3 = [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]
| color3 = saddlebrown
| value4 = 1.21
| label4 = [[Balochi language|Balochi]]
| color4 = Darkblue
| value5 = 0.94
| label5 = [[Pashto]]
| color5 = Wheat
| value6 = 2.91
| label6 = Others
| color6 = grey
}}

Roughly 96% population of the city is Muslim, while the remaining 4% comprise other minorities, overwhelmingly Hindus.

<div style="overflow-x:auto; border: 1px solid #AAA; padding-left: 0.1em; padding-right: 0.1em">
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Religious groups in Sukkur City (1881−2023)
! rowspan="2" |[[Religion in Pakistan|Religious]]<br>group
! colspan="2" |1881<ref name="Census1881B">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057678 |jstor=saoa.crl.25057678 |access-date=29 August 2025 |title=Census of India, 1891. Operations and results in the Presidency of Bombay, including Sind |year=1881 |pages=91 |archive-date=1 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240601224518/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057678 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1891<ref name="Census1891B">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25352815 |jstor=saoa.crl.25352815 |access-date=29 August 2025 |title=Census of India, 1891. Vol. VIII, Bombay and its feudatories. Part II, Imperial tables |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1891 |volume=8 |pages=22}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1901<ref name="Census1901B">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25366895 |jstor=saoa.crl.25366895 |access-date=29 August 2025 |title=Census of India 1901. Vols. 9-11, Bombay. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1901 |volume=9 |pages=30}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1911<ref name="Census1911B">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25393770 |jstor=saoa.crl.25393770 |access-date=29 August 2025 |title=Census of India 1911. Vol. 7, Bombay. Pt. 2, Imperial tables. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1911 |volume=7 |pages=33}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1921<ref name="Census1921B">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25394131 |jstor=saoa.crl.25394131 |access-date=29 August 2025 |title=Census of India 1921. Vol. 8, Bombay Presidency. Pt. 2, Tables : imperial and provincial. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1921 |volume=8 |pages=27}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1931<ref name="Census1931B">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25797128 |jstor=saoa.crl.25797128 |access-date=29 August 2025 |title=Census of India 1931. Vol. 8, Bombay. Pt. 2, Statistical tables. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1931 |volume=8 |pages=33}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1941<ref name="Census1941B">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215545 |jstor=saoa.crl.28215545 |access-date=29 August 2025 |title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 12, Sind |year=1941 |volume=12 |author1=India Census Commissioner |pages=19}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2017<ref name="Census2017B">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/final-results-census-2017 |title=Final Results of Census-2017 Table-9 Population by sex, religion and rural/urban |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=29 August 2025}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2023<ref name="Census2023B">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/digital-census/detailed-results|title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results Table-9 Population by sex, religion and rural/urban|website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics|access-date=29 August 2025}}</ref>
|-
![[Population|{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}]]
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
|-
| [[Islam]] [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]]
| 14,118
| {{Percentage | 14118 | 27389 | 2 }}
| 11,866
| {{Percentage | 11866 | 29302 | 2 }}
| 11,386
| {{Percentage | 11386 | 31316 | 2 }}
| 13,253
| {{Percentage | 13253 | 35294 | 2 }}
| 16,329
| {{Percentage | 16329 | 42759 | 2 }}
| 27,642
| {{Percentage | 27642 | 69277 | 2 }}
| 18,152
| {{Percentage | 18152 | 66466 | 2 }}
| 486,710
| {{Percentage | 486710 | 508030 | 2 }}
| 544,308
| {{Percentage | 544308 | 569152 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Hinduism]] [[File:Om.svg|15px]]{{efn|name=SindhHindu|Includes Castes (Hindu Jati), [[Scheduled Castes in Pakistan|Scheduled Castes]], [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes]]/[[Tribals in India|Tribals]], [[Nanakpanthi]]s, [[Prarthana Samaj]], and [[Brahmoism]].}}
| 12,838
| {{Percentage | 12838 | 27389 | 2 }}
| 16,945
| {{Percentage | 16945 | 29302 | 2 }}
| 19,313
| {{Percentage | 19313 | 31316 | 2 }}
| 21,392
| {{Percentage | 21392 | 35294 | 2 }}
| 25,368
| {{Percentage | 25368 | 42759 | 2 }}
| 38,890
| {{Percentage | 38890 | 69277 | 2 }}
| 46,467
| {{Percentage | 46467 | 66466 | 2 }}
| 18,645
| {{Percentage | 18645 | 508030 | 2 }}
| 21,322
| {{Percentage | 21322 | 569152 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Christianity]] [[File:Christian cross.svg|15px]]
| 383
| {{Percentage | 383 | 27389 | 2 }}
| 423
| {{Percentage | 423 | 29302 | 2 }}
| 339
| {{Percentage | 339 | 31316 | 2 }}
| 163
| {{Percentage | 163 | 35294 | 2 }}
| 302
| {{Percentage | 302 | 42759 | 2 }}
| 525
| {{Percentage | 525 | 69277 | 2 }}
| 353
| {{Percentage | 353 | 66466 | 2 }}
| 2,176
| {{Percentage | 2176 | 508030 | 2 }}
| 3,095
| {{Percentage | 3095 | 569152 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Zoroastrianism]] [[File:Faravahar.svg|15px]]
| 50
| {{Percentage | 50 | 27389 | 2 }}
| 54
| {{Percentage | 54 | 29302 | 2 }}
| 54
| {{Percentage | 54 | 31316 | 2 }}
| 74
| {{Percentage | 74 | 35294 | 2 }}
| 101
| {{Percentage | 101 | 42759 | 2 }}
| 111
| {{Percentage | 111 | 69277 | 2 }}
| 53
| {{Percentage | 53 | 66466 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 569152 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Judaism]] [[File:Star_of_David.svg|15px]]
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 27389 | 2 }}
| 14
| {{Percentage | 14 | 29302 | 2 }}
| 13
| {{Percentage | 13 | 31316 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 35294 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 42759 | 2 }}
| 8
| {{Percentage | 8 | 69277 | 2 }}
| 8
| {{Percentage | 8 | 66466 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Jainism]] [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg|15px]]
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 27389 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 29302 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 31316 | 2 }}
| 3
| {{Percentage | 3 | 35294 | 2 }}
| 9
| {{Percentage | 9 | 42759 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 69277 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 66466 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Buddhism]] [[File:Dharma_Wheel_(2).svg|15px]]
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 27389 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 29302 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 31316 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 35294 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 42759 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 69277 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 66466 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Sikhism]] [[File:Khanda.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 409
| {{Percentage | 409 | 35294 | 2 }}
| 650
| {{Percentage | 650 | 42759 | 2 }}
| 2,094
| {{Percentage | 2094 | 69277 | 2 }}
| 1,433
| {{Percentage | 1433 | 66466 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 225
| {{Percentage | 225 | 569152 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Ahmadiyya]] [[File:Liwa-e-Ahmadiyya_1-2.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 13
| {{Percentage | 13 | 508030 | 2 }}
| 12
| {{Percentage | 12 | 569152 | 2 }}
|-
| Others
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 27389 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 29302 | 2 }}
| 211
| {{Percentage | 211 | 31316 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 35294 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 42759 | 2 }}
| 7
| {{Percentage | 7 | 69277 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 66466 | 2 }}
| 486
| {{Percentage | 486 | 508030 | 2 }}
| 190
| {{Percentage | 190 | 569152 | 2 }}
|-
! Total population
! 27,389
! {{Percentage | 27389 | 27389 | 2 }}
! 29,302
! {{Percentage | 29302 | 29302 | 2 }}
! 31,316
! {{Percentage | 31316 | 31316 | 2 }}
! 35,294
! {{Percentage | 35294 | 35294 | 2 }}
! 42,759
! {{Percentage | 42759 | 42759 | 2 }}
! 69,277
! {{Percentage | 69277 | 69277 | 2 }}
! 66,466
! {{Percentage | 66466 | 66466 | 2 }}
! 508,030
! {{Percentage | 508030 | 508030 | 2 }}
! 569,152
! {{Percentage | 569152 | 569152 | 2 }}
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="20" | {{small|1881–1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Sukkur, which included Sukkur Municipality.<br>2017–2023: Urban populations of New Sukkur Taluka and Sukkur City Taluka.}}
|}
</div>

==Economy==
Sukkur's economy is largely reliant upon the agricultural produce from northern Sindh's farms, and serves as a trading and processing center for agricultural goods.<ref name=bowden>{{cite book |last1=Bowden |first1=Rob |title=Settlements of the Indus River|date=2004|publisher=Heinemann-Raintree Library|isbn=978-1403457189|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N3JKeIBYmoMC&q=sukkur+established+by+british |access-date=5 December 2021}}</ref> The city also once had a bustling shipbuilding industry.<ref name="sukk"/>

Sukkur is well-connected to the rest of Pakistan by road and rail, which in turn has attracted new industries such as chemical manufacturing, metalworking, and cement manufacturing.<ref name=bowden/>

===Agriculture===
Sukkur had a large fertile and cultivable land area. During ''[[Kharif crop|kharif]]'', rice, [[Pearl millet|bajra]], cotton, tomatoes and peas are cultivated, whereas during ''[[Rabi crop|rabi]],'' the main crops are wheat, barley, graham and melons. Sukkur is famous world over for its dates. Sukkur also has a large Riveraine forest along the course of the Indus. These tropical forests are found within the protective embankments on either side of the Indus. During 1997–98, the total area under forests was {{cvt|510|km2}} which yielded {{convert|55000|ft3|m3}} of timber and {{convert|27000|ft3|m3}} of [[firewood]] besides other mine products.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findpk.com/cities/Explorer-pakistan-Sukkur.html |title=Explore Pakistan |access-date=18 September 2014 |website=findpk.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708074930/http://findpk.com/cities/Explorer-pakistan-Sukkur.html |archive-date=8 July 2014 }}</ref>

==Transportation==
===Road===
The city is connected to [[Multan]] by [[M5 motorway (Pakistan)|M-5 motorway]], with onwards motorway connections to [[Lahore]], [[Islamabad]], and [[Peshawar]]. Sukkur will also be connected to [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]] by the [[M6 motorway (Pakistan)|M-6 motorway]], with onwards connections to Karachi via the [[M9 motorway (Pakistan)|M-9 motorway]]. The M-5 is ready whereas the M-6 is being built as part of the wider [[China-Pakistan Economic Corridor]].

===Rail===
[[Sukkur railway station]] serves as the city's main rail station. Passenger services are provided exclusively by [[Pakistan Railways]]. The city's station is serviced by the [[Jaffar Express]] that runs between [[Rawalpindi]] and [[Quetta]], the [[Sukkur Express]] that runs between [[Karachi]] and [[Jacobabad]], and the [[Akbar Express]] that runs between Quetta and [[Peshawar]].

===Air===
[[Sukkur Airport]], located 8&nbsp;km outside of the city, is served by [[Pakistan International Airlines]], with direct flights to [[Karachi]], [[Lahore]], and [[Islamabad]].

==Administration==
The city of Sukkur is the capital of [[Sukkur Division]] and [[Sukkur District]]. Sukkur District has four Tehsils (Talukas) and many [[Union Councils of Pakistan|Union Councils]].<ref>
{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.lgdsindh.com.pk/tmasukkur6.htm
 |title       = Union Administrations of Taluka Sukkur
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20060511170455/http://www.lgdsindh.com.pk/tmasukkur6.htm
 |archive-date = 11 May 2006 |website=Local Government Department, Government of Sindh website|access-date=4 December 2021
}}</ref> Sukkur is home to one of three circuit benches of the [[Sindh High Court]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sindhhighcourt.gov.pk/Introduction.shtml |title=High Court of Sindh, Karachi |access-date=4 December 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126064106/http://www.sindhhighcourt.gov.pk/introduction.shtml |archive-date=26 January 2012 }}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Sukkur IBA University - academic block I (2).jpg|thumb|The [[Sukkur IBA University]] is one of Pakistan's business schools.]]
The [[Sukkur IBA University]] (''previously'' '''Sukkur Institute of Business Administration''' or '''Sukkur IBA''') is a business school founded in 1994. The institute is ranked 3rd among the five independent business schools of Pakistan included in the Higher Education Commission Pakistan Business School Ranking 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.paked.net/higher_education/hec_university_rankings.htm|title=HEC University Rankings – Top Universities|website=paked.net}}</ref> {{Dubious|date=June 2021}}

[[Begum Nusrat Bhutto Women University]] is the public sector University exclusively for women. Established on 50 Acre of land at the [[Rohri]] Bypass [[N-5 National Highway]]

The [[Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College]] is a constituent College of [[Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University]].<ref name="smbbmu.edu.pk">{{cite web |url=http://beta.smbbmu.edu.pk/ |title=Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112148/http://beta.smbbmu.edu.pk/ |archive-date=2 April 2015|access-date=4 December 2021}}</ref>

The [[Aror University of Art, Architecture, Design and Heritages]] is established near Sukkur at [[Rohri]] bypass [[N-5 National Highway]]. The university is offering the graduate, postgraduate an advance studies in the field of architecture, textile design, photography, interior design, civil engineering, communication design, ceramics and other disciplines.

[[Islamia Science College Sukkur]] was founded by the Syed Hasan Mian Advocate and he remained the Chief Patron of the college till his death, Syed Hasan Mian advocate with the help of Noble families of Sukkur founded 25 Schools and Vocational centers in Sukkur. He was the General Sec of All India Muslim League and close associate of Founder of Pakistan Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

[[Ziauddin University]] Sukkur Campus

==Notable people==
<!--Only add individuals having article on wikipedia-->
* [[Masum Shah|Mir Muhammad Masum Nami]] (d. 1606), born to Shaikh-ul-Islam of [[#The fortress of Bhakkar|Bhakkar]] of that time. He authored ''Tarikh-i-Masumi'' (aka ''Tarikh-i-Sind''), a book on history of the Sindh province from the start of [[Muhammad Bin Qasim]]'s arrival in Sindh to the beginning of 17th century. ''Mufradat-i-Nami'' was book written on medicine by him. He wrote a ''Diwan'' of poetry and versified the translation of legend of ''Sassi Pannu''.<ref>{{cite book |author=Nabi Hadi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qjJmzdJFOHwC&pg=PA449|title=Dictionary of Indo-Persian Literature |date=1995|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-8-17-017311-3|page=449}}</ref>
* [[Hemu Kalani]],  Indian revolutionary
* Sardar [[Ghulam Muhammad Khan Mahar]]
* Syed [[Nasir Hussain Shah]]
* [[Abdul Hafeez Pirzada]]
* [[Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah|Syed Khurshid Shah]], Leader of Opposition for National Assembly of Pakistan from June 2013 to May 2018
* [[Islamuddin Shaikh|Islam Ud Din Shaikh]], Member of Senate of Pakistan since March 2015
* [[Nauman Islam Shaikh|Nouman Islam Shaikh]], Member National Assembly of Pakistan, NA-207 (Sukkur-II),	NA-198 (Sukkur-cum-Shikarpur-I)
* [[Dr Sana Ramchand Gulwani]], first female Hindu civil servant from Pakistan Administrative Service

==See also==
* [[Alor (Sukkur)|Alor]] and [[Arora]]
* [[Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College]]
* [[List of educational institutions in Sukkur]]
* [[Sukkur IBA University]]
* [[Begum Nusrat Bhutto Women University]]
* [[Aror University of Art, Architecture, Design and Heritages]]

==Notes==
{{noteslist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{citation |author=Dirk Collier|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=40ywDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT207|title=The Great Mughals and their India|date=1 March 2016|publisher=Hay House, Inc.|isbn=978-9-38-454498-0|page=207}}
* {{citation |author=James Wynbrandt|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xQGwgJnCPZgC&pg=PA71|title=A Brief History of Pakistan|date=2009|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-0-81-606184-6|page=71}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sukkur}}
* {{Wikivoyage inline}}
* [https://smc.gos.pk/ Sukkur]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140628105109/http://www.gmmmc.edu.pk/ Ghulam Muhammad Maher Medical College, Sukkur]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060307195652/http://www.adb.org/Documents/PCRs/PAK/IN229-01.pdf ADB Report on Sukkur Barrage 2001]
* [https://nation.com.pk/11-Dec-2017/water-scarcity-in-pakistan-causes-effects-and-solutions An Overview of the History and Impacts of the Water Issue in Pakistan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105110157/https://nation.com.pk/11-Dec-2017/water-scarcity-in-pakistan-causes-effects-and-solutions |date=5 January 2019 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060327065515/http://www.un.org.pk/undp/cpr/floods/summer-floods-update-no-6-26july05.doc Pakistan Floods Situation Report, 26 July 2005]

{{PakistanCities}}
{{Pakistan topics}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sukkur| ]]
[[Category:Metropolitan areas of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Populated places in Sukkur District]]