- Youth bulge offers unique opportunity for economic prosperity social uplift innovation sustainable growth Pakistan
According to a new United Nations report, the current world population of 7.6 billion is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100. With roughly 83 million people being added to the world’s population yearly, the upward trend in population size is expected to continue, even assuming that fertility levels will continue to decline.
The ministry of finance-government of Pakistan reported that rapid population growth poses significant issues to attaining socioeconomic development, mainly in developing countries like Pakistan. It places immense pressure on public services like education, healthcare, housing, and employment, making it increasingly difficult for governments to meet the needs of their populations effectively. This strain can undermine attempts to reduce poverty, eliminate hunger, and enhance access to basic services, thereby slowing overall progress toward inclusive and sustainable development. One of the main drivers of high rate of fertility and population growth is the lack of autonomy and opportunities for women and girls.
It is also recorded that limited access to education and reproductive health services often restricts their ability to make informed decisions about family planning. Empowering individuals, chiefly women, through education, economic opportunities, and comprehensive reproductive healthcare is therefore, critical to manage a high world population and extremely unfavorable demographic outcomes. Such empowerment not only promotes gender equality but also leads to lower fertility rates, assisting to stabilize population growth and support sustainable development.
Attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mainly those related to health, education, and gender equality, requires concerted action to empower individuals and address the underlying causes of rapid population growth. Unless these underlying drivers are effectively addressed, the momentum of demographic pressures may continue to erode the gains of broader development efforts. Worldwide, the population is expected to continue growing for the next 50 to 60 years, peaking at almost 10.3 billion by the mid-2080s before gradually falling to almost 10.2 billion by the end of the century.
Population Status
According to the Seventh Population and Housing Census (2023), Pakistan’s population has reached 241.5 million, comprising 124.32 million males and 117.15 million females. A defining demographic properties of Pakistan is its substantial youth bulge: 26 percent are aged between 15 and 29 years, and 53.8 percent of the population falls within the working-age group (15 to 59 years). This demographic dividend offers a unique opportunity for economic prosperity and social uplift if effectively converted into an asset equipped with scientific knowledge and technology that will offer a powerful engine for innovation and sustainable growth.
To harness the potential of the youth, government launched various measures aimed at enhancing youth employment prospects. Notable among these are the “Prime Minister’s Youth Business & Agriculture Loan Scheme” and the Prime Minister’s Program named “Skills for All”, which focus on promoting entrepreneurship and skill development. These programs aim to transform Pakistan’s demographic challenge into a driver of economic growth and social stability.
Statistics showed that the population of Pakistan increased six-fold during the period 1961-2023, from 42.88 million in 1961 to 241.5 million in 2023. The average annual population growth rate from 2017 to 2023 was 2.55 percent, slightly higher than the 2.4 percent recorded between 1998 and 2017.
Population & Family Planning
The government of Pakistan mentioned in the economic survey FY 2025 that the Family Planning (FP) is globally recognized as a vital strategy for managing population growth and enhancing maternal and child health care. As part of the international family planning community and a signatory to FP2030 commitments, our country is proactively redefining its population programs by strengthening collaborative partnerships, growing resource mobilization, and enhancing governance and oversight. Pakistan has made its FP2030 commitments in line with its national goals agreed upon under the composite coverage index (CCI) recommendations and the targets set for the National Action Plan to strengthen family planning. The objectives of FP 2030 commitments are as follows:
- Adapt and implement evidence-based progressive policy reforms with political will and enabling environment at all levels.
- Universal access to services to lower fertility rates and addresses the unmet need for contraception.
- Addressing information and service needs especially in remote areas.
- Gearing for uniform understanding of national narrative.
- Contraceptive commodity security and efficient supply mechanism.
- Legislative support
- Institutionalization of human development and system strengthening to sustain family planning efforts.
- Monitoring and evaluation for results and effectiveness.
- Mobilizing funds and allocations for family planning and reproductive health activities.