The population factor

The economic growth rate and rapidly increasing population bulge in the country are indirectly linked with each other, the later heavily affecting the former. The meagre economic resources are depleting amidst the unbridled overpopulation.

Pakistan’s population is the fastest growing in the South Asia. Today the population of Pakistan is 180 million and according to an estimate 120 million more will be added to the country population by 2050 reaching to more than 300 million amidst the depleting resources of our economy. This rapid growth in population will develop the shortage in myriads of products and the life style standard of the people that will be deteriorated further.

Being the sixth populous country of the world, it has a population of nearly 200 million six times the population of Afghanistan, Iraq, and twice the population of Iran. While in contrast, it has the lowest per capital income of 2$ and our country ranks 46th with the regards to its GDP that is lower than its neighbouring India and Bangladesh.
The population of the country is rising with the breakneck speed depleting the already meagre resources widening the gap between the demand and supply while creating myriad crisis in the country.

The country’s most significant problems are believed to be corruption, electricity and water scarcity, inflation, unemployment and terrorism but we have forgotten the main issue of overpopulation that is contributing to all the above-mentioned problems. The reason for the scarce resources of the country is the rapidly growing population who are eating up the commodities while no extra productions are created. For instance, if today we had a population of 70 million instead of 180 million our country might not have confronted with the current troubles.

Pakistan has the highest fertility rate that is 3 per cent higher than the standard fertility rate of 1.2 per cent. According to UN estimates, childbirth in Pakistan will increase by 28 million by 2015 that will further develop paucity of the commodities. Only one per cent increase in the population growth will decrease the economic growth rate by 1 per cent that can hugely affect on the economic condition.

Pakistan’s population represent 2.56 per cent of the world population it means among the 39 people around the world there will be one Pakistani. Moreover, every 7.19 sec a baby is born in Pakistan and every hour 500.6 person are born.

A few factors hindering the population planning policy in the country such as socio-economic factors, education level of parents, culture hesitance in using contraceptive and general lack of awareness besides religious restriction is causing the bulge in the population. A mullah-based society will call the polio vaccine and population planning campaign the creation of the infidels that stop the birth of the Muslim population.

Our country should learn a lesson from the once over populous Muslim countries including Indonesia, Egypt and Iran which once has the huge population growth but by following population policy they decreased the population growth. The birth control policies in Iran decrease the fertility rate hence achieved the desired goal of lower population.
Two third of Pakistan population is under 30 which is the largest in South Asian if they could be provided with education and skill they could contribute hugely to the economy growth but unfortunately, this potential of our youth is in turn burdening the economy. At least 4 million new entrants come into the labour force with little skill and education but in contrast a huge profit can be achieved by harnessing these labourer.

The female comprise half the country’s population deprived of both education and jobs; they can double the present economic growth. Despite having 50 per cent of share in the population, their representation is 3 per cent in economy.

There are many reasons for the over population in the country but Poverty and lack of education are greatly affecting the situation further. Due to lack of knowledge and awareness people donot use family planning and various contraceptives in order to rid of the unwanted pregnancies and the unintentional childbirth that most of the time ends at abortion but the fertility rate is still higher than the normal which is rapidly increasing the bulge in population with the fastest speed. For instance, 81 million school going children are present in Pakistan who needed to be sent to schools and provided with the best education so as to increase the economic growth rather than population growth.

A proper attention must be given to the public health and especially to the reproductive help that lead to the overpopulation owing to the lack of knowledge and the apathy of the government. A huge swathe of the population donot know how to use contraceptive ways to pre-empt the undesirable situation. For instance, 50 per cent of pregnancies occur unintentionally.

According to an expert analysis, our economy needs to grow at rate of 6 per cent in order to absorb the new entrants. The country’s working age population increase by 32 per cent annually. By 2030 working age population will reach 67 per cent as compare to 55 per cent hence unemployment will increase if proper arrangement are not done.

Nearly 1.35 billion people live in the china, 19 per cent of the world 7 billion populations but despite that their growth rate of the economy is 9.2 per cent as compare to Pakistan that is lower than 3 per cent and the Chinese have adopted one child policy that has greatly help them as well.

Growing population amidst low resources and negligible development is making the future of the country even bleaker and uncertain while compelling the government to resort to the doors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). We can follow the example of China who has pursued the policy of self-sufficiency in almost every field of life.

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