• Pakistan adds 4-5m people annually, with 2.4pc growth rate — the highest in South Asia
• Two-day event brings together policymakers, experts, and global partners to develop a shared population strategy
ISLAMABAD: As the country’s development agenda continues to lack focus on population planning, the ‘Pakistan Population Summit’ — a national dialogue on restoring balance and building sustainable futures — opens today (Monday) to emphasise the need to recognise population planning as an investment in the country’s development.
Pakistan, with a population of over 241 million, is the fifth most populous country in the world, adding four to five million people every year. It’s population growth rate of 2.40 per cent is the highest in South Asia. The rapid increase is outpacing employment opportunities, with official statistics show the country will require 104m jobs by 2040. Pakistan will not be able to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 if the current trajectory of population growth does not slow down.
Thirteen of the 17 SDGs are directly or indirectly linked to population growth. For a bright future for the people of Pakistan, especially the youth, which form the majority of the population, it is important to achieve a balance between population growth and available resources.
Sustainable population growth is a prerequisite for sustainable development. Young people are driving change, yet they face major challenges such as economic insecurity, gender inequality, limited access to healthcare and education, climate disruption, and conflict.
Rapid population growth in Pakistan poses a serious challenge to socio-economic development. Unsustainable population pressures are depleting natural resources and adversely affecting socio-economic indicators, ultimately impacting the over well-being of the population.
The two-day summit will bring together politicians, economists, development specialists, private sector leaders, and experts to develop a shared vision as the rising population continues to place pressure on health systems, food and water security, and employment.
Organised by DawnMedia, the summit will feature twelve sessions that will discuss issues such as: restoring population balance by 2050; accelerating economic growth towards a more optimal balance; translating political resolve into action on the ‘tawazan’ narrative; regional reviews of population and economic growth; the human development crisis; heightened responsibility to restore the balance between the centre and the provinces; the ideology of population balance; population challenges in a highly urbanised Pakistan of 2050; empowering women and their choices; abilities of information ministries to influence Pakistan’s optimum population narrative; and reports of provinces in balancing population and economic growth.
The sessions will be chaired by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, National Commission on the Status of Women Chairperson Umm-e-Laila Azhar, and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab. Provincial government leaders will also address various sessions.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Dr Bolormaa Amgaabazar will speak during a session focused on accelerating economic growth towards a more optimal balance.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative Dr Luay Shabaneh will chair the session on regional review of population and economic growth. Former senator Raza Rabbani will chair the session on human development crisis, which will feature a keynote address by former permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Dr Maleeha Lodhi.
The rising population poses a challenge to sustainable development. In this backdrop, strong political commitment and effective governance on population policy is required to make population policy a national priority and integrate it across all development initiatives.
Development specialists have emphasised the need for investment in human capital, particularly in women and girls, who face stark educational disadvantages compared to men, with significant gap in educational attainment across all levels of education.
There is a need to increase public financing up to 2 per cent of GDP and efficient spending for population planning throughout Pakistan. Revisiting the criteria of the National Finance Award has been emphasised since 84 per cent of the award is based on population size.
According to the Population Council, effective implementation of population policy with the goal to achieve the Council of Common Interests (CCI) targets of a total fertility rate of 2.2 children per woman and lowering the population growth rate to 1.2pc per annum by 2030 would mean 50m fewer people by 2050.
The council has called that population growth reduction be included in the Charter of the Economy. A lower population growth rate of 1.2pc by 2030 can lead to a transformation in the economic outlook, it said.
Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2025
