Pakistan's Population Crisis

Pakistan's population is increasing at a breakneck speed. At present, the country is the fifth most populous globally, with 241.5 million people, equivalent to 3.12% of the world's population. As per the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, total fertility rate (TFR) – total births per woman during her reproductive age – in the country is 3.6, which is among the highest in South Asia. Moreover, the annual population growth rate for the past decade remained at 2.55% – again, one of the fastest in the region as well as globally. Owing to the scarce natural resources and many other reasons, a fast growth of population has become a crisis, where humans, instead of being an asset, unfortunately, prove to be a liability.

The Pakistani nation has, however, been desensitized to this grave issue. Even some quarters consider it a good thing, asserting that a large population provides a large consumption market, which fuels industrial growth. In some cases, a large population is taken as a political choice, as it turns out to be a large vote bank and better provincial representation at the national level. Others opine that a large army, which, in turn, comes from a large population, is inevitable for the defence of the country. However, they ignore the fact that industries do not merely need large markets and that, in this age of technology and information, wars are won through technology, skills, innovation and quality education.

Several factors contribute to this issue.