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Express Tribune
07-08-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PM terms population growth 'alarming', calls for unified national strategy
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a high-level meeting regarding impact of rising population on development in Islamabad on Aug 7, 2025. Photo: APP Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday termed Pakistan's annual population growth rate of 2.55% an 'alarming trend' and called for urgent and coordinated action to address the growing challenge, Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Chairing a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, the premier said the rising numbers demand a comprehensive national strategy to manage population growth and ensure sustainable development. 'We need comprehensive planning to ensure our growing population, especially the youth, becomes a productive part of the economy,' the premier said, describing the country's youth as its greatest asset. Pakistan's population, which was 31 million at the time of its independence in 1947, reached 241 million as per the 2023 census. Read More: NAP operations to continue without interruption: Talal Chaudhry According to projections in the UN's World Population Prospects 2024 report, Pakistan's population is anticipated to peak in 2092 at 404.68 million people. The report also indicates that Pakistan's population will surpass that of Indonesia in 2048, reaching 331.29 million by then. Despite a declining fertility rate, which has dropped from six live births per woman in 1994 to 3.6, the country is projected to become the third most populous nation in the world by 2050, surpassing the United States, Brazil, and Russia. The prime minister noted that the government is actively working to empower young people and integrate them into the economic mainstream. 'Opportunities are being created to enable our youth to play a central role in national development,' he added. Stressing the need for greater gender inclusion, PM Shehbaz highlighted the importance of women's participation in the workforce. 'Women constitute a significant portion of our human capital. We must ensure greater employment opportunities for them,' he said. Read More: PTI slams Punjab's Rs730m bulletproof vehicle purchase To develop an effective national response, the PM directed the formation of a policy committee in coordination with provincial governments. 'A unified and strategic response is the need of the hour,' he asserted, advocating a federal-provincial framework to address population-related concerns. The premier also called for a nationwide awareness campaign to educate the public on the implications of unchecked population growth, particularly in terms of economic sustainability. During the meeting, officials presented various policy proposals, stressing that long-term solutions would require provincial cooperation and grassroots engagement. The meeting was attended by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and other senior government officials.
Mint
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Migration is a win-win game that can be turned into a double blessing
Thomas Malthus, the 18th century English cleric, painted a dire picture of the consequences of population growth. In his 1798 book An Essay on the Principle of Population, he predicted a bleak future for humankind: 'The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man." Technological advancement since then has disproven Malthus. Today, our planet is home to about 8 billion people—eight for each one alive in his times. Yet, it's no exaggeration to say that for the vast majority of us, if not everyone, our quality of life is far superior to anything seen in previous centuries. Far from being a bane, population is now seen as a vital enabler of greater prosperity. Indeed, the pendulum has swung the other way. Also Read: India's population can be an asset in the world's war against climate change Today's fear is not of a runaway headcount, but of numbers failing to keep pace with the needs of economies, especially in the rich world. This is the result of fertility rates falling faster than mortality rates, a gap that has skewed the age profile of many countries upwards, making it harder for them to support the ageing. The trend of fewer births and longer lives is global enough to mean that in various ways and stages, the world is in the throes of a profound shift: Population growth is no longer driven by fertility and mortality, but by its third driver: migration. The motives of migration are mostly economic, with people venturing out for better lives. Also Read: Gender and Age: We need a female perspective on ageing populations According to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024, immigration is projected to be the main driver of population growth in 52 countries and areas through 2054. This group includes Australia, Canada, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the US. The West is in the midst of a migration boom unlike any before. The IMF estimates that America's foreign-born labour force is 9% higher than at the start of 2019. In the UK, Eurozone and Canada, it is around a fifth higher. The US insurge means that its economy will be 2% larger over the next decade than had been forecast. But the impact of migration goes beyond the favour it does GDP; it extends to inflation, living standards, public budgets and even to the realm of a society's intangible social fabric. The pressure on public goods—think of roads, schools, hospitals, public housing—combined with the complexities of local absorption often puts migration at the risk of a backlash. For political leaders looking for a scapegoat at which they can direct public anger, migrants are soft targets. The rise of right-wing extremism in large parts of the US and Europe is evidence of this. Sadly, distrust of incomers is not limited to cross-border migrants. Within India too, we see people in more prosperous states displaying xenophobic attitudes towards migrants from other parts of the country. Also Read: Population decline is not a problem but hungry kids are The long-term answer is better-balanced regional development. But in the short-term, governments in states with large migrant populations must address the inevitable demands made of public provisions. The contribution of migrants to the local economy must be matched with more spending on transport, housing, health, etc, so that migrants don't find themselves in a scramble with locals for scarce public goods and everyone can rub along in harmony. This, plus a vigil on parochial behaviour, could be a win-win game for all states, be they sources or recipients of migrants. Migration, as Portia said of mercy in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, is twice-blessed: 'It blesseth him that gives and him that takes." Countries and communities would do well to remember that.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
India's fertility rate drops below replacement level even as population hits 1.46 billion: UN report
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India's population has reached 1.46 billion in 2025, cementing its position as the world's most populous nation, even as its fertility rate continues to decline, according to the United Nations Population Fund 's (UNFPA) State of World Population Report released on report projects that India's population will peak at around 1.7 billion over the next 40 years before beginning to shrink. In comparison, China's population is estimated to be 1.41 billion this year. Last year, India's population stood at 1.44 billion, according to the World Population Prospects 2024 report released by the UN in total fertility rate (TFR) in India has now fallen to 1.9, which is below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population across generations. The UNFPA report highlights that while the national average reflects progress, it conceals sharp disparities across regions, economic classes and social contrast has created what the report calls a 'high fertility and low fertility duality.' States such as Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh continue to show high fertility rates due to poor access to contraception, limited healthcare services and entrenched gender norms. In contrast, states like Delhi, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have sustained below-replacement fertility levels. In these states, many urban, educated middle-class couples are delaying or opting out of parenthood because of rising costs and work-life has seen a significant decline in fertility over the decades, from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to around two today. The National Family Health Survey of 2019–21 recorded a TFR of 2.0 for the first time, signaling the shift below replacement this progress, the report notes that millions in India still face barriers to making informed reproductive choices. Many women are unable to freely decide if and when to have children. The focus, the UNFPA urges, should shift from concerns over falling fertility to fulfilling reproductive intentions.'This is the real crisis, not underpopulation or overpopulation. The answer lies in greater reproductive agency, a person's ability to make free and informed choices about sex, contraception and starting a family,' the report this, a UNFPA-YouGov survey of 14,000 people across 14 countries, including India, found that one in three Indian adults reported experiencing unintended pregnancies. Another 30 percent said they were unable to have as many or as few children as they wanted. Notably, 23 percent experienced constraints were the most cited barrier, with nearly four in ten respondents naming it as a reason they could not have the families they desired. Other hurdles included job insecurity (21 percent), housing issues (22 percent), and lack of access to reliable childcare (18 percent).The report calls for a fundamental shift in population policy discourse, urging governments to prioritise reproductive rights and support systems over alarmist reactions to demographic change
Economic Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
India's fertility rate drops below replacement level even as population hits 1.46 billion: UN report
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India's population has reached 1.46 billion in 2025, cementing its position as the world's most populous nation, even as its fertility rate continues to decline, according to the United Nations Population Fund 's (UNFPA) State of World Population Report released on report projects that India's population will peak at around 1.7 billion over the next 40 years before beginning to shrink. In comparison, China's population is estimated to be 1.41 billion this year. Last year, India's population stood at 1.44 billion, according to the World Population Prospects 2024 report released by the UN in total fertility rate (TFR) in India has now fallen to 1.9, which is below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population across generations. The UNFPA report highlights that while the national average reflects progress, it conceals sharp disparities across regions, economic classes and social contrast has created what the report calls a 'high fertility and low fertility duality.' States such as Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh continue to show high fertility rates due to poor access to contraception, limited healthcare services and entrenched gender norms. In contrast, states like Delhi, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have sustained below-replacement fertility levels. In these states, many urban, educated middle-class couples are delaying or opting out of parenthood because of rising costs and work-life has seen a significant decline in fertility over the decades, from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to around two today. The National Family Health Survey of 2019–21 recorded a TFR of 2.0 for the first time, signaling the shift below replacement this progress, the report notes that millions in India still face barriers to making informed reproductive choices. Many women are unable to freely decide if and when to have children. The focus, the UNFPA urges, should shift from concerns over falling fertility to fulfilling reproductive intentions.'This is the real crisis, not underpopulation or overpopulation. The answer lies in greater reproductive agency, a person's ability to make free and informed choices about sex, contraception and starting a family,' the report this, a UNFPA-YouGov survey of 14,000 people across 14 countries, including India, found that one in three Indian adults reported experiencing unintended pregnancies. Another 30 percent said they were unable to have as many or as few children as they wanted. Notably, 23 percent experienced constraints were the most cited barrier, with nearly four in ten respondents naming it as a reason they could not have the families they desired. Other hurdles included job insecurity (21 percent), housing issues (22 percent), and lack of access to reliable childcare (18 percent).The report calls for a fundamental shift in population policy discourse, urging governments to prioritise reproductive rights and support systems over alarmist reactions to demographic change
Deccan Herald
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Depopulation or degrowth?
There is now a perceptible change in the political discourse in India on its population growth. For decades, national policy focused on population control, with the two-child norm serving as the default template for implementation. Since the 1970s, politicians have largely avoided making statements on population policy during elections. However, in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra broke this convention. During his Independence Day speech, he warned that India's population explosion threatened both current and future development. He praised small households as 'role models' and described population control as an 'expression of patriotism and love for the nation'..In the early 1990s, for example, it was observed that the youngsters of marriageable age in Japan preferred not to marry but to cohabit and, when they did marry, not to have children. Today, Indian politicians across party lines are increasingly calling for a shift in the country's population policy. India is experiencing a steep decline in population growth, with the fertility rate dropping from five in the 1970s to two in 2023, according to the United Nations World Population Prospects 2024. This is now below the replacement level of March this year, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said at a workshop on 'Population Dynamics and Development' that India needed to shift from population control to 'population management'. While he remains a supporter of the two-child norm, he framed his views in terms of maintaining economic stability. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin urged young couples to have more children. Stalin's appeal came in response to Tamil Nadu's diminishing representation in the Lok Sabha, which is based on population. Despite differing political contexts, both leaders underscored the same concern: that sustaining society and fuelling the economy would require larger, not smaller, order unlikely to impact domestic generic industry working on razor-thin profits.A growing global debate is unfolding around depopulation and its implications. Arguably, the current global population decline can be compared to the bubonic plague of the mid-14th century. But that decline was episodic; the current decline is happening at a time when humanity enjoys the maximum lifespan. 'What does a planet with fewer people mean for society? It's a position the modern world hasn't been in, so we would be crossing a demographic Rubicon,' writes Javed Franz, an American economist. He sees population decline as a negative impact on the economy: fewer people means less consumption, ultimately shrinking the economy. It also means fewer working people, reduced tax collection, and an ageing society requiring more government expenditure on supportive provisions. In India, similar concerns are being voiced. J Jayarajan, vice chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission, has warned that an ageing population could present an unprecedented challenge, placing significant financial strain on society. The McKinsey Global Institute, in its report Dependency and Depopulation, notes: 'Absent action, younger people will inherit lower economic growth and shoulder the cost of more retirees, while the traditional flow of wealth between generations erodes.'.On the other hand, some thinkers suggest that declining population trends might ultimately benefit the planet and its ecosystems. Anthropogenic global warming—the current warming trend driven primarily by human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and nitrogen-heavy agriculture—has significantly altered Earth's climate. The so-called Green Revolution, heavily reliant on synthetic fertilisers, has also contributed to global warming through the emission of nitrous oxide from urea this perspective, the rise in human population – unmatched by any other species in scale, speed, or predatory behaviour – has not been planet-friendly. Stephanie Feldstein, director of population and sustainability at the Centre for Biological Diversity, United States, writes in Scientific American: 'While many assume population decline would inevitably harm the economy, researchers found that lower fertility rates would not only result in lower emissions by 2055 but also a per capita income increase of 10%.' She further argues, 'Population decline is only a threat to an economy based on growth. Shifting to a model based on degrowth and equity alongside lower fertility rates will help fight climate change and increase wealth and well-being.'.The evolving discourse in India, the U-turn in India's population narrative, brings into focus this dilemma..(The writer is a former Professor, The Royal Society, Belgium)
