Pakistan's Population Growth Poses 'Existential Crisis,' Experts Warn at Summit

Summit Concludes with Urgent Warnings

ISLAMABAD – Experts and officials at the two-day Pakistan Population Summit, which concluded on Tuesday, December 3, 2025, issued a grave warning regarding the nation's escalating population growth. They cautioned that the unchecked increase is rapidly outpacing available resources, posing an 'existential crisis' to various critical sectors across the country. The event, organized by DawnMedia, brought together government officials, scholars, and civil society leaders to address the pressing demographic challenges facing Pakistan.

Strain on Resources and Infrastructure

Pakistan, currently the fifth most populous country globally with over 241 million people as per the 2023 census, is adding an estimated four to five million individuals annually. This rapid expansion, with a population growth rate reported as high as 2.40 percent between 1998 and 2017, is the highest in South Asia and is severely straining the country's capacity to provide essential services and sustain development. The summit highlighted that this surge threatens multiple areas:

• Healthcare System: Overburdened maternal, neonatal, and reproductive health services.
• Food and Water Security: Pakistan's food production has not kept pace with population growth, and the country is projected to face severe water scarcity.
• Education Infrastructure: Schools are overcrowded, contributing to a high number of out-of-school children, estimated at over 22.8 million.
• Labor Market: The influx of young people into the workforce far exceeds job creation, leading to high unemployment and underemployment.
• Urban Sustainability: Rapid urbanization driven by population growth has led to the proliferation of slums and inadequate living conditions.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar acknowledged that 'the constitutional right to life was being undermined by a population surge that strains neonatal, maternal and reproductive health.' Similarly, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb described population growth, alongside climate change, as 'existential issues' for Pakistan's future.

Calls for Unified Action and Policy Reforms

Speakers at the summit emphasized the urgent need for a unified, cross-institutional approach to population management. Recommendations included:

• A national consensus and stronger coordination between federal and provincial governments.
• Empowerment of women and girls, with legal expert Humaira Masihuddin advocating for 'stronger women's representation in decision-making.'
• Increased investment in human capital and public financing for population planning, with some experts suggesting 2 percent of GDP for effective long-term outcomes.
• Comprehensive family planning programs, improved healthcare infrastructure, and sustainable resource management policies.

Significantly, religious scholars at the summit also supported the notion of family planning. CII Chairman Dr. Raghib Naeemi stressed that 'protecting life and offspring is a core objective of Shariah' and endorsed birth spacing. Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, Chairman of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, called population management 'a collective responsibility,' while Mufti Zubair Ashraf Usmani clarified that Islam permits birth spacing when health is at risk. These statements aim to address misconceptions that have historically hindered family planning efforts in the country.

Looking Ahead

The warnings from the Pakistan Population Summit underscore a critical juncture for the nation. Without decisive action to align population growth with resource availability, experts fear that ongoing development efforts could be undermined, impacting Pakistan's ability to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.