The United Nations recent data indicates that Pakistan’s population is currently at 227,282,382 and is encountering a worrisome growth rate of 2.4% per annum. The UN projects Pakistan’s population to reach 403 million by 2050, which is an increase from an estimated 240.5 million in 2023, according to UNFPA Pakistan. It is projected that an annual influx of 2.1 million young individuals will contribute to a workforce of 180 million by 2050.
Given these statistics, it is crucial for Pakistan to prioritise population control as a national matter and incorporate population planning into academia and national policies and create jobs for the ever-increasing young population.
Till now, Pakistan has been unable to make its own comprehensive policy regarding overpopulation at a time when countries like Bangladesh, India, China and Sri Lanka have managed to get its population growth under control. To curb the high population growth rate in Pakistan, researchers have proposed sexual education, awareness campaigns, availability of contraceptives, women empowerment and clearing cultural and religious misconceptions.
Population control and climate change go hand in hand and if we don’t act, we will get to see more instances like the 2022 floods in Balochistan and the recent floods in Swat.
Asadullah Ali Dar
Karachi
