By Uzma Ehtasham
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has once again placed Pakistan’s growing population at the centre of the country’s development debate, describing it as one of the greatest challenges facing the nation. While chairing a meeting on population welfare, he directed officials to convene the first meeting of the National Population Council and emphasised that sustainable development depends upon balancing population growth with available resources. He also called for population planning to be linked with broader economic development, human capital and social protection initiatives. These are reasonable objectives, and few would dispute that population planning deserves serious policy attention.
However, framing Pakistan’s economic difficulties primarily as a consequence of population growth risks overlooking the far deeper structural weaknesses that have held the country back for decades. Pakistan’s population has expanded rapidly over the past several decades, increasing pressure on schools, hospitals, housing, transport networks, clean water supplies and public services. A larger population naturally demands greater investment in infrastructure and social welfare. If governments fail to anticipate these demands, overcrowded classrooms, overstretched hospitals and rising unemployment become inevitable. Expanding access to voluntary family planning, maternal healthcare and girls’ education should therefore remain central pillars of public policy because they improve both individual wellbeing and long-term economic outcomes.
Yet the assumption that reducing population growth alone will solve Pakistan’s economic problems is far too simplistic. Population is only one variable in a much larger equation. The more fundamental question is whether a country’s institutions create opportunities for its citizens or reserve those opportunities for a privileged few. Nations are not made poor simply because they have many people. They become poor when governments fail to invest in those people and when economic systems reward political influence more than productivity and innovation. History offers many examples that challenge the idea that a large population is necessarily a burden.
China and India, the world’s two most populous countries, have transformed their demographic size into significant economic strength. Their enormous workforces helped fuel industrial growth, while their vast consumer markets attracted investment from multinational companies eager to reach hundreds of millions of customers. Demography alone did not create this success. It was supported by decades of investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, education and export industries. Large populations became valuable because governments gradually created conditions in which people could participate productively in the economy.
Pakistan’s experience has been markedly different. Millions of young people enter the labour market each year only to encounter limited employment opportunities, underfunded schools and inadequate vocational training. Instead of becoming drivers of economic growth, many remain trapped in low-paying informal work or prolonged unemployment. This is not because there are simply too many people. It is because the economy has consistently failed to generate enough productive jobs while education systems often leave graduates without the skills demanded by modern industries. The unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity lies at the heart of this problem.
Economic resources remain concentrated among relatively small sections of society, while millions struggle to access quality healthcare, education, land ownership, finance and secure employment. Social mobility remains limited, and public investment often fails to reach those communities that need it most. Under these conditions, population growth magnifies existing inequalities rather than creating new ones. The challenge is therefore not merely demographic but institutional. Pakistan’s fiscal structure reflects the same imbalance. Successive governments have promised to broaden the tax base, yet meaningful reform has repeatedly stalled.
Salaried employees and compliant taxpayers continue to bear a disproportionate share of the burden, while influential sectors frequently benefit from exemptions, concessions and weak enforcement. Public resources that could strengthen education, healthcare and infrastructure are constrained by an uneven revenue system. Until these longstanding distortions are addressed, blaming population growth for economic hardship diverts attention from reforms that could produce far greater benefits. Pakistan should also reconsider how it views its young population in an increasingly ageing world. Many developed economies are experiencing declining birth rates and shrinking workforces.
Countries across Europe, East Asia and the Gulf are searching for skilled workers in healthcare, engineering, information technology, construction and technical trades. This global demand presents an opportunity rather than a threat. If Pakistan invests seriously in education, vocational training and internationally recognised professional qualifications, its youthful population could become one of its greatest economic assets. Skilled workers employed abroad generate remittances, strengthen international ties and ease domestic unemployment while contributing valuable expertise when they return home.
Population policy therefore needs a more balanced perspective. Supporting voluntary family planning, expanding reproductive healthcare and improving women’s educational opportunities remain essential. These policies enhance individual choice, improve maternal and child health and contribute to sustainable development. But they cannot substitute for economic reform, stronger governance and fairer distribution of opportunity. Without these changes, slower population growth alone will not guarantee prosperity.
Ultimately, Pakistan’s greatest challenge is not the number of its people but the limited opportunities available to them. The country possesses a young, energetic and resilient population capable of driving innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth. What has been missing is a political and economic system that invests consistently in human potential instead of allowing inequality and privilege to shape outcomes. A nation’s true wealth lies not in the size of its population but in its ability to educate, employ and empower its citizens. If Pakistan succeeds in doing that, its growing population will cease to be viewed as a burden and instead become the foundation of a more prosperous and equitable future.
(The writer is a public health professional, journalist, and possesses expertise in health communication, having keen interest in national and international affairs, can be reached at uzma@metro-morning.com)
