A report from the United Nations(UN) has revealed that Pakistan has recorded up to a 50 percent decrease in the birth rate during the last 30 years.
The World Fertility Report 2024, stated that Pakistan’s birth rate has decreased from 6 children per woman in 1994 to 3.6 in 2024. The report has yet to be released officially.
The report states that targeted interventions to reduce teenage birth rates can yield significant socio-economic benefits and accelerate the decline in birth rates.
Reducing the number of births in the future will allow governments and families to allocate resources more effectively for child and adolescent health and well-being.
Additionally, encouraging girls and young women to delay childbirth can provide them with more opportunities for education, employment, and other life goals.
The report reveals that in 2024, nearly 1.8 billion people, or 22% of the global population, live in 63 countries and regions that are in the early or middle stages of demographic transition and are expected to reach low fertility rates after 2054.
Governments in these areas, which are far from completing the demographic transition, need to strengthen laws and enforcement mechanisms to protect the rights of girls and women. This includes laws against child marriage and those ensuring full and equal access to sexual and reproductive health care, information, and education.
