Since independence four population census have been conducted. These were held in 1951, 1961, 1972 and 1981. During the census of 1951 and 1961 Jhall Magsi was part of Kalat district and it was also the tehsil of Bhag sub division. At the time of the census of 1981 Jhall Magsi was a sub-division of Kachhi district. Therefore, all population data concerning Jhall Magsi are based on interpolation and extrapolation of those data specific data for Jhall Magsi over that period are not available.

Census Data Jhall Magsi	1951	1961	1972	1981	1995
Population	32,380	51,481	72,254	68,092	102,995
M/F ratio				1.0
Population Density per sq.km.	11	17	23	22	33
No. of Households
No. of Female Headed Households
Average household size				7.1
Percentage under 15 years				41.9
Urban Population
M/F ratio Urban
Rural Population
M/F ratio Rural				1.0
Percentage Urban Population

The census report shows a negative growth of 1.2 percent annually for the 1972-1981 period, while the National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS) has estimated a positive growth of 3 percent annually for the period 1981-1995.

The Kachhi census report of 1981 shows the male-female ratio in the district as 0.96. It indicates a dependent population below 15 years of age of 42%. As Jhall Magsi has been registered only in 1992, no detailed data are available on age distribution, etc. No extrapolation to the current administrative boundaries of Jhall Magsi district has been conducted.

The average household size of the district according to 1980 housing census is 7.1. No further data are available. However social leaders and others think that the household size may have increased to 10 persons.

The size of dependent population, comprising the population under the age of fourteen and over the age of sixty, is very high. According to the 1981 census, the dependent population comprises 49.3 percent of the district’s total population. The male-female ratio among the dependent population is 1.0.

In the census reports from 1961 to 1981, the total population of Jhall Magsi district was placed in the rural area category. The division between rural and urban areas was based on the classification of local councils. Any area with a town committee, municipal committee or municipal corporation was declared an urban area. In 1994, Gandawah, the district headquarters of Jhall Magsi, got a town committee. Its total population is estimated at 3,900. Therefore, at present over 94 percent of the population is considered rural and 6 percent is considered urban.

Although the entire population was declared rural in 1981, the population had settled in a number of villages: 4 villages with 2000-4999 inhabitants, 16 with 1000-1999, 22 with 500-999 and 44 villages with a population under 500. The villages are rather equally distributed over the district plains, as expressed by the distribution of schools over the district in chapter 7.3.

The population density of Jhall Magsi district estimated to be 33 per square km is above average (for Balochistan as a whole :21 per square km). Jhall Magsi is divided into two parts. Its eastern part, i.e. Mirpur sub Tehsil, and the eastern part of sub-division Jhall Magsi have a small and scattered population. The reason is that this area depends on flood and rain water. But Gandawah, Jhall Magsi and the western parts have a large population, because permanent water sources are available in these areas. Kot Magsi an other towns of Jhall Magsi sub-division are irrigated with water from the canal. Important towns in the district are Gandawah, Jhall Magsi, Mirpur, Kot Magsi, Hathiary, Barija, Kotra, Kajan and Pachh. The district is divided into two sub-divisions.

Jhall Magsi district has two major ethnic groups, the Baloch and the Jamoot. Jamoots are the indigenous inhabitants of the area. The Jamoots in this area speak Sindhi and Siriaki language. According to the 1981 census, the mother tongue of 45 percent of the population is Balochi, for 41 percent it is Sindhi and for 9 percent it is Siriaki.

In the census of 1981, the nature and extent of migration in Jhall Magsi district is not described separately. Though figures on permanent migration from the district are not available, they are considered negligible. Minor migration takes place is due to tribal feuds or for employment purpose.

Seasonal migration is quite common. Nomads from the cold areas of adjacent districts like Kalat and Khuzdar travel into Jhall Magsi in the month of November and stay up to March. These nomads migrate to the district in search of pasture lands for their livestock and for seasonal cropping. They also provide fire wood in the village and towns near their camps. Additionally, the local population of the district also migrates to adjacent districts like Nasirabad, Jaffarabad and bordering areas in Sindh in the cropping season to earn their livelihood. Though no data are available, this kind of seasonal migration is estimated to affect 5 to 10 percent of the population.