by Ali Hashaam Asif
Peace and Justice Network
Overpopulation is a global crisis and Pakistan is slated among the most overpopulated countries. It is the sixth most populous country in the world. The rate of population increase is 1.2 per cent a year, which means the population would double in 58 years.
Unchecked population growth in Pakistan is one of the serious challenges that the country faces today. A rapidly growing population creates economic and social problems related to housing, education, health, transport, water and power. The very high rate of population growth lowers the per capita income, which causes low savings and results in a low rate of capital formation.
Pakistan doesn’t have a good education system, and the government seems unwilling or unable to make effective changes. Furthermore, poverty, inflation, illiteracy, social unrest, and criminality are the cases in point that are created by overpopulation.
Therefore, the government of Pakistan needs to devote not only adequate time and attention to these issues but to implement real change and reform to solve the overpopulation crisis, and as Pakistan was the first country to adopt #SDGs2030 agenda we need to put concentrated efforts toward controlling the population as it’s one of the key factors in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
1) The current population of Pakistan is 204,653,758 as of Wednesday, July 10, 2019, based on the latest United Nations estimates.
2) Pakistan population is equivalent to 2.65% of the total world population.
3) Pakistan ranks number 6 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
4) The population density in Pakistan is 265 per Km2 (687 people per mi2).
5) The total land area is 770,880 Km2 (297,638 sq. miles)
6) 39.8 % of the population is urban (81,499,983 people in 2019)
7) The median age in Pakistan is 22.7 years.
