Growing population challenge

EDITORIAL: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent remarks at a high-level meeting, describing Pakistan’s annual population growth rate of 2.55 percent as an “alarming trend,” are timely.

However, they also shine a light on years of policy inaction. While population planning is a provincial subject post the 18th Amendment, the ramifications of such rapid growth are national in scope, spanning healthcare, education, food security, social services, and, most crucially, unemployment.

In his address, the Prime Minister called for the formation of a committee to draft a national policy on population control, collaborating with provincial governments, and urged the establishment of a coordinated federal-provincial framework.

This recognition of the issue is important, but his concern would carry more weight had he demonstrated similar urgency during his two terms as chief minister of Punjab — the country’s most populous province. Sceptics point out that little was done at the provincial level during that time to curb population growth.

However, the situation across other provinces is no different either. One of the most critical consequences of unchecked population growth is increasing unemployment. Each year, millions are added to Pakistan’s population, and while a youthful demographic can be an asset, the economy struggles to keep pace.

With the labour force increasing by 3 percent annually, the economy simply cannot absorb the sheer number of people entering the job market. As a result, unemployment continues to rise, while frustration among young people fuels social unrest, crime, and a growing sense of hopelessness.

Resistance from religious groups is often cited as a key reason behind the lack of a strong national population control programme. Yet, Pakistan could learn valuable lessons from other Muslim-majority countries that have successfully tackled this issue.

Bangladesh, with similar cultural and religious dynamics, has brought its total fertility rate at 2.1 percent, a rate considered to be at or near the replacement level. Through investments in women’s education, the deployment of community health workers, widespread availability of contraceptives, and support from local religious leaders, Bangladesh has demonstrated that population control can be both feasible and socially acceptable in conservative societies.

Similarly, Iran offers another compelling case. In the late 1980s, the country faced a population boom but responded with a comprehensive family planning campaign, including free contraceptives, mandatory pre-marriage counselling, and close collaboration with religious authorities. These efforts have resulted in a dramatic reduction in the population growth rate, which currently stands at just 1.2 percent.

A key factor behind the success of both countries has been the prioritisation of education — particularly for girls and women. Education is, without a doubt, the most effective form of population control. Educated women tend to have fewer children, marry later, and make informed decisions about family planning, while striving to secure better futures for their families. In contrast, Pakistan’s embarrassingly low literacy rates, persistent gender gaps in schooling, and cultural and infrastructural barriers continue to pose major obstacles.

To address the population explosion effectively, Prime Minister Sharif, together with provincial governments, should now follow through with a national strategy that includes substantial investments in girls’ education, improved access to reproductive healthcare, and coordinated awareness campaigns. These efforts should also engage religious scholars and local communities to create a shared support for the issue.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025