Pakistan’s fertility rate has decreased from six living births per woman in 1994 to 3.6 in 2024, according to the United Nations World Nations World Fertility Report 2024.
Despite this decrease, it is projected that the country becomes the third most populous nation in the world by 2050, surpassing the United States, Indonesia, Brazil and Russia.
The population of Pakistan, which was 31 million at the time of its independence in 1947, reached 241 million according to the 2023 census.
The country has addressed population growth through various measures, including family planning programs, contraceptive distribution and rural education campaigns.
Collaboration with international organizations, such as the UN Population Fund, has also been part of the government’s strategy. However, cultural and religious barriers, together with gender inequality and limited access to education, continue to prevent progress.
The UN Pakistan projects will exceed 380 million by 2050, and fertility rate is expected to decrease even more to 2.5 in 2054.
The report also stressed that countries such as Ethiopia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, together with Pakistan, will represent 43 percent of world births in 2024.
“Three other examples of countries … had fertility levels even above six living births per woman in 1994, decreasing by 2024 to 3.6 in Pakistan, 3.9 in Ethiopia and 4.4 in Nigeria,” says the UN report, which, which It forecasts a greater decrease in global fertility rates, but maintain fertility above replacement levels in countries such as Pakistan.
The UN has emphasized the importance of reducing adolescent birth rates through specific interventions to relieve social and economic pressures.
“Reducing growth in the number of living births in the future would allow governments and families to assign more efficient resources to invest in the health and well -being of children and adolescents,” says the report.
In addition, the UN has asked to end children’s marriages, improve access to sexual and reproductive health and improve maternal care for young mothers. “Governments must also strengthen laws and execution mechanisms to protect the rights of girls and women,” advises the report.
As fertility rates decrease in countries such as Pakistan, efforts to improve education, gender equality and access to medical care are crucial to guarantee a sustainable future for these nations.
