The world marked World Population Day on July 11, designated by the United Nations to draw attention to the urgency and significance of population concerns, especially their connections to the environment and human development.
Two big demographic milestones were reached around the world in the last 12 months. First, eight billion people officially made up the world population in November 2022. Second, according to UN estimates, India surpassed China to become the world’s most populous nation in April of this year.
The world’s population tripled from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 8 billion in 2022, as shown in the animation below. The United Nations Population Division predicts that by 2050, there will be 9.7 billion people on the planet.
Nigeria is anticipated to surpass China and India as the third most populous country in the world by the year 2050, with the United States, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh following in that order.
Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world with its population estimated at 233 million in 2023. Its population growth rate of 2.40 percent is the highest in South Asia and stands in sharp contrast to the 1.0–1.5 percent growth rate of other South Asian countries.
Pakistan’s uncontrolled population growth has serious implications for human development, such as poverty, illiteracy, health, environment, gender inequality, and security. The country faces challenges in providing adequate education, health care, housing, infrastructure, and employment opportunities for its growing population.
Moreover, the rapid population growth puts pressure on the natural resources and contributes to environmental degradation and climate change. Pakistan needs to adopt effective policies and strategies to slow down its population growth and improve its human development indicators. Some of the possible measures include increasing public awareness, enhancing female education and empowerment, expanding family planning services, and promoting social and economic development.
