Over Population in Pakistan

Outline:
1. Introduction
2. Definition
3. Population in the world
4. Pakistan and Over population
5. Population table
6. Comparison with other countries
7. Causes of Over population in Pakistan
8. Effects of Over population in Pakistan
9. Impacts on Economy
10.Impacts on Agriculture Sector
11.Impacts on Environment
12.Over population causing other Social Evils
13.World Scenario
14.Efforts put in by Government
15.Future Course of Action
16.Measures to Control Over Population
17.Conclusion

“If the world is to save any part of its resources for the future, it must reduce not only consumption
but the number of consumers.” B.F. Skinner

Introduction
Population is considered as an asset for a country. But it turns to be a burden when increases uncontrollably.
This is the case with the world. Rapid growth in population has become a global problem and Pakistan is no
exception. Pakistan inherited many chronic problems at the time of its inception. Problems like illiteracy,
poverty, unemployment, corruption, lawlessness, political instability, poor infrastructure etc. were uncalled
gifts for Pakistan. Overpopulation has further added to the fire. Many reasons are behind it; most of them
seem to arise from our social and cultural norms. All of them are leaving adverse effects on our society.
Some of the major impacts are shortage of food and housing facilities, overcrowding in cities, low
investment etc. The repercussions of an ever-expanding population are manifold. Ensuring economic growth
and zero poverty is preceded by population control. Therefore, a sensible roadmap to control population
growth entails efforts from the state as well as those from the general populace.
The population of Pakistan has swelled to 208 at the last count and
2.4 per cent growth per year in relative terms, as per Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Definition
According to the United Nations, overpopulation is defined as the situation in which the number of existing
human population exceeds the carrying capacity of the Earth.
A number of factors could lead to the emergence of overpopulation. Birth rate is the most common indicator
that the countries today use to keep a check on population. Pakistan today suffers from a high birth rate in
the country. But the birth rate was
high even in the past and still overpopulation was nowhere to be seen. What factors today have translated
the high birth rate into overpopulation? The advancements in the medical field have led to a sharp decline
in the death rate. The life expectancy has increased due to the use of imported health technologies. So, a
decline in death rate has in other words led to the problem of overpopulation. Pakistan is a developing
country and as many others like it is trying hard to survive in the capitalist world. A huge population of
around fifteen crores that could have been an asset to the country is today a huge liability. Fast increasing
population is thus a source of constant danger for Pakistan.

Population in the world

The recent rapid increase in human population over the past two centuries has raised concerns that
humans are beginning to overpopulate the Earth, and that the planet may not be able to sustain present or
larger numbers of inhabitants. The population has been growing continuously since the end of the Black
Death, around the year 1400 at the beginning of the 19th century, it had reached roughly 1,000,000,000 (1
billion). Increases in medical technology have led to rapid population growth on a worldwide level.
Current projections show by UN World Population Division shows world population reaching 9.7 billion
by 2050 and 11.3 billion by 2100 when currently 7.5 billion people inhabit the planet, with China hosting
1.4 billion people and India around 1 billion.
The scientific consensus is that the current population expansion and accompanying increase m usage of
resources is linked to threats to the ecosystem. The Inter Academy Panel Statement on Population
Growth, which was ratified by 58 member national academies m 1994, called the growth in human
numbers "unprecedented", and stated that many environmental problems, such as rising levels of
atmospheric carbon dioxide, global warming, and pollution, were aggravated by the population
expansion. At the time, the world population stood at 5.5 billion, and low-bound scenarios predicted a
peak of 7.8 billion by 2050, a number that current estimates show will be reached around 2022. But in
2011, world population reached 7 billion.

Pakistan and Over population

Population explosion is a global problem. It is equally true of Pakistan. Every day we come across the oft-
repeated phrase, "Population Bomb is ticking". A state based on Islamic ideology should be an ideal state.
Since its inception, Pakistan had to face the problems of illiteracy, poverty, pollution, unemployment,
lawlessness & terrorism, inflation, loans, corruption, defective tax structure, government instability and
many more chronic problems. Unless we achieve a control on population, these related problems will not
be easily solved.
At the time of partition, Pakistan had a population of 33 million. Today, our country has crossed the
number of 170 million. At present, Pakistan’s population is growing at the rate of 1.57% yearly. If the
current growth rate of Pakistan remained continued, the day is not away when Pakistan would be number
1 in term of population.

Population table
At the time of partition, the area, which today comprises Pakistan, had a population of 33 million. The
following table shows population of Pakistan at different times since its inception.
Year Population (In millions)
1947 33
1972 66
1998 130.5
2000 140
2010 170
2016 190
According to experts, under the same growth rate, the population of Pakistan would be greater than that of
China by the year 2035.

Comparison with other countries

Causes of over population in Pakistan

Following are the main causes of over population in Pakistan:
ALLAH is RAZIQ
Muslims have a solid belief that God gives food to everyone even to an ant living in a stone. So,
why they reduce the size of family?
No or Less Opportunity Cost
71 % Women are not active in economic activities in Pakistan. Women have no any economic
loss while having a child. Opportunity cost for having a child is very low or zero in Pakistan.
Low Per Capita Income
We know that per capita income derives by dividing national income on total population. Low per
capita income shows population explosion. Per capita income in Pakistan is $ 1641.
Unemployment
Unemployment is also a symbol of over population. It is difficult to adjust the huge population in
economic activities. Rate of unemployment is 5.6 % in Pakistan.
High Population Growth Rate
The birth rate is very high which shows that our country is over populated. Rapid growth rate of
population is 2.4 % in Pakistan.
Need for More Earning Hands
A single person cannot sport his large family in developing countries like Pakistan. He thinks to
have more children to be more earning hands.
Afghan Refugees
An arrival of refugees from India and especially from Afghanistan is also resulting in more
population.
Low Death Rate
Reduction in death rate is another cause of over population. Death rate in 1951 was 2.8 % while it
is just 0.73 % in 2010-11.
Low Standard of Living
It is observed that in Pakistan people with low income have more children. It is difficult to
support such large size family. It results in low living standard of the population.
Warm Climate
Due to the warm climate, youth and maturity is attained at an early age. It also results in rapid
population growth.
Absence of Family Planning
Effective family planning is not available in Pakistan. People are not familiar with the methods of
family planning. They feel hesitation to consult a doctor.
Joint Family System
There is competition among the family member in accordance with the family size in joint family
system. It is also a cause for rapid growth of children.
Early Marriages
The marriages take place usually between 16 to 22 years of age in Pakistan. The duration for re-
productivity is very lengthy.
Illiteracy
Due to lack of education, people are not aware of with the economic problems caused by high
birth rate. Literacy rate is 57.7 % in Pakistan.
Inefficient Population
Dependency ratio is very high in our county. Only 32.17 % population take part in economic
activities and other 67.83 % depends upon them. It views as a pressure on land and population
expulsion.
Polygamy Practice
 Polygamy is the condition or practice of having more than one wife at one time. The existence of
polygamy also contributes to the increase in population.
Urbanization
Due to rural urban migration and lack of facilities in cities, there are many social problems. It
results in increase in urban population. Higher rate of urbanization is an indicator of over
population.
Low Saving & Investment
The rate of saving and investment of GDP are only 9.5% and 13.4% respectively in Pakistan.
Rate of investment and employment is also very low due to low rate of savings. So these indicate
that Pakistan is over populated.
Poor Nutrition
People in Pakistan get poor diet, which affects the health and working capacity. It reduces the per
capita income, which is a sign of population explosion.
Concept of Large Family
Large family size is considered as a source of power to influence people and to control the
persons around them. People feel pride to have a large family.
Vicious Circle of Poverty
Very high population growth rate reduces the per capita income, saving, investment and
productivity. A country is thus caught up in vicious circle of poverty. Vicious circle of poverty is
also a symbol of over population.
Universality of Marriage
All men and women of marriageable age enter into wedlock. As such the birth rate is higher in
Pakistan.
Absence of Other Activities
There is absence of recreational facilities and employment opportunities in Pakistan. Time
passing and any other enjoyments in Pakistan are very costly. So, people have a more time to
spend with their wives.
Desire For Male Child
We think that we are progressing and adopting new values and trends but this is really not true
and this is a fact that parents prefer boys on girls and consider their son as their future asserts.
Who can support them later in the life? So desire of male child is also the main reason of
population growth in society like Pakistan. So if we want to control the rising population so we
should consider boys and girls as same and value them. If this thing will be including in our
thinking that girls also support their parents so this will discourage the practice of producing more
and more children just for the desire of male child.
Failure of Governmental Population planning Policies
Lastly, the failure of proper implementation of government’s Population Planning Policies is the
major cause of population growth. Many policies have been formulated up till now. But none of
them has produced the desired results. There are many challenges to population planning
implementation in Pakistan. In Pakistan, the cultural and religious institutions consider family
planning a very wrong deed. This factor is the primary reason why many areas of Pakistan are
still devoid of family planning centres. Misconception, rumours and false propaganda about
family planning practices are also among the common reasons.

Effects of over population in Pakistan

1. Low Per Capital Income
 The population growth reduces per capita income of the people because national income is divided by
a big size of population. Per capital income of Pakistan is $ 1642 during 2017-18.
2. Unemployment, Under-employment and Disguised-unemployment
It is impossible to provide jobs to such highly growing population in Pakistan. It results in
unemployment, under-employment and disguised-unemployment. Rate of unemployment in Pakistan is
5.6%.
3. Low Growth of Agriculture Sector
Very fast growth rate of population is a pressure on land. It caused to use of agricultural products at
domestic level, increase in the landless workers and shortage of food. Growth rate of agriculture sector is
3.81 percent during FY 2017-18
4. Low Saving and Low Investment
The rapidly increasing population increases the expenditure of government. It reduces the saving and
investment. Low level of saving & investment means economic backwardness. Gross domestic savings
(% of GDP) in Pakistan was reported at 8.6898 % in 2016, according to the World Bank and total
investment is 16.599 % of GDP during 2019.
5. High Rate of Inflation
There is more demand for goods due to more population. More demand results in more prices and
inflation in the country. The inflation rate in Pakistan eased to 8.82 percent year-on-year in April 2019.
.
6. Pollution
There is not any effective system to control the pollution. Capitalists install industries with billion
dollars of resources but do not install treatment plants of million rupees. The rapid growth of population
creates pollution, unplanned colonies and environment problems.
7. Backward Social Infrastructure
Rapidly growing population creates economic and social problems such as housing, education, health,
transport, water, power etc.
8. Vicious Circle of Poverty
Very high rate of population growth lowers the per capita income, which caused in low saving and
low investment that result in low rate of capital formation. All this forms the vicious circle of poverty.
9. Low Living Standard
Rising population cannot be provided the basic facilities of life in developing countries like Pakistan.
So, rising population means low living standard. The Economic Survey 2018 revealed Pakistan’s
percentage of people living below the poverty line has 24.3 percent in 2015-16
10. Adverse Balance of Payment
Over populated nation has to import various items to support a huge population. On the other hand
their export decreases. Due to over population our balance of payment is unfavorable in case of Pakistan.
Pakistan's balance of payments has remained under severe pressure over the last one year with current
account deficit surging to $12.4 billion (or 4.1% of GDP) in 2016-17.
11. Reduction in Wage Rate
High growth rate of population is caused in more labor force and unemployment. There is absence of
skill and training that leads to low wage rate.

Impacts on Economy
Overpopulation has badly hampered the economic growth in the country. High population is
responsible for a decline in the per capita income . This leads to a decline in the purchasing power of
the people. As the demand for goods decreases then by “Demand & Supply” law, the investment in the
country will also suffer. Such a stagnant economy will lead to closing of factories and businesses and in
return add to joblessness and poverty. Even if the country somehow is successful in attracting foreign
investment, still overpopulation will not allow these investments to have a positive effect on the
 country’s economy. Greater population means more number of hungry souls to feed. With the number
of productive earning members in a family small compared to unproductive members, there is felt a
drag on limited income of poor families. This is the problem of “Dependency ratio” which is acutely
felt in poor countries.

For years, social services in the country have suffered even after sincere efforts by successive
governments. The fact remains that more schools, hospitals, and parks are of little comfort if the
population keeps on increasing at an alarming rate.
Or
1. Population reduces the Rate of Capital Formation
2. Higher Rate of Population requires more Investment
3. It reduces per Capita Availability of Capital
4. Adverse Effect on per Capital Income
5. Large Population creates the Problem of Unemployment
6. Rapid Population Growth creates Food Problem

Impacts on Agriculture Sector

Agriculture is another sector, which has been adversely affected by the rapid increase of population.
About 70% of Pakistan’s population is employed in the agricultural sector. Overpopulation is even
having an adverse effect on agricultural outcome. More population means smaller farms, and that leads
to a decline in productivity. Availability of cultivable land in 1990 was 0.17 hector per person and the
estimated availability of cultivable land by the year 2025 will be 0.07 hector per person. The same
would happen with the forests and also with the availability of fresh water.

People having smaller farms have no other choice but to migrate in hope for a better life. This leads to
urbanization, which itself is a major social problem.

Impacts on Environment
Physical environment means – non living environment or the land, air, water, soil and minerals. The
utilization, overuse and misuse of physical resources increased manifold due to the growth of human
population. As it has been told earlier, more population means more mouths to eat food which requires
more agricultural production. More cultivable land has been made available by clearing forests and by
reclaiming wet lands, ponds and green belts. Advanced agriculture requires utilization of more water,
more fertilizers and more pesticides. Application of fertilizers and pesticides makes the soil infertile.
Clearing of forests has its own serious impacts and the environment on the whole gets imbalanced.
More population means more space to construct houses and availability of more consumer goods. It also
requires more means of transport, more consumption of fossil fuels and more pollution of air, land and
water. Thus growth of population leads to pollution of air, land and water. Different types of pollutions
are causing a number of problems in the physical environment that are further affecting the biological
environment seriously.

Overpopulation Causing other Social Evils

Over population has contributed towards an increase in a number of social evils. Lawlessness, crime and
corruption are all the result of population explosion. The fight over resources has divided the society into
two groups i.e. those who have all and are not willing to share it and the second group that is fighting for
its mere survival. This fight between haves and have-nots has the inherent seeds of conflict in it, which if
erupted could imperil the peace and order in the society. Overpopulation in cities has also contributed to
toxic pollution. A greater number of vehicles on the roads mean the availability of large quantities of
poisonous gas for people to inhale. Sewage problems and lack of clean drinking water can also be
attributed to the population problem.
World Scenario
The world has crossed the six billion mark in population. After years of industrialization and
technological advances, the world still suffers in providing basic necessities to the masses. Apart from
few exceptions in Europe having a negative birth rate, overpopulation is a common problem of many
nations around the world. Many of the countries have tried hard and to some extent they have been
successful. China, around three decades ago, was facing shortages in food but today it is the largest
growing economy in the world. The “One Child Policy” has done wonders for this new economic
power. China has also proved the fact that through proper planning a huge population could be
transformed into an economic asset.

Efforts put in by Government

1. Family Planning Association, a private venture, started work in 1953.
2. Government started providing family planning services at its health centers in
1960.
3. A National Planning program was formed in 1965.
4. American Aid for family planning started in 1974.
5. Provincial Governments initiated Family Planning Programs in
1983. Community health center started by Government in 1993.

Future Course of Action

It is right time that we nip the evil in the bud with proper planning. Education is the key to success
against the menace of overpopulation. It will not only generate awareness against the hazards of
overpopulation among the masses but will also create a healthy environment for birth control methods
to flourish. Poor literacy rate in Pakistan is certainly adding to the difficulties, already being faced by
the health workers in their fight against the problem.

The role of media is also an important factor. With most of the population illiterate electronic media
could prove to be a huge success in getting the message across. Print media too needs to emphasize the
problems of overpopulation on a more regular basis. Availability of birth control methods in the remote
areas of the country should be ensured. The role of lady health workers should be expanded and the
good office of every union council should make their supervision compulsory. “Devolution Plan” was
devised to make the participation of people at the grass roots level. Now it is time that we solve the
problem of overpopulation with a greater participation and support of these local councils. But this task
will be not as easy to accomplish, as it may appears to be.
According to a report by Population Action International Washington, a great reason for population
increase in Pakistan is that the Government has made a very insignificant investment in social sector
owing to religious problems and secondly women having no say and freedom . A conservative society
like ours is certainly not ripe to carry out a war against overpopulation. Therefore, the role of religious
leaders emerges as an important aspect if we are to succeed against this menace. Big landowners in
rural areas to command a lot of respect among the masses. It is time that they join in against the fight
for a better future. Once these two classes are on the side of the government, there is no way that the
government will not be able to solve the problem. Another factor that has for long proven to be a
hurdle in solving population problem is the poor state of our womenfolk in the society. The rights of
women must be restored and the discrimination against them must be stopped. Many women in the
country are aware of the problems generated by having large families but they have little say in
deciding about the strength of the family. In a male-dominated society as ours women often fall victim
to the blind wishes of their male partners. Women often die in labor and owing to the lack of gaps
between the successive births. Their health also deteriorates to an alarming stage.
 Measures to Control over Population

1. Control the Birth Rate

The high birth rate i. e., 2.1% should be discouraged to reduce the population size. Effective and
successful family planning should be introduced.
2. Use of Medicines
More contraceptive medicines should be introduced to people. By using these medicines; people will
control the birth rate.
3. Late Marriages
Marriages should take place in late age to control the rapidly rising population. It will be helpful to
control the over population.
4. Health Centers
Government should open the health clinics in all the regions of the country. These clinics will be
useful for reducing the high birth rate.

5. High Literacy Rate

Government should provide the more educational facilities to the backward population. This will
provide the true picture of the economy, resources and population growth rate. Literacy rate is 57.7% in
Pakistan.
6. Women Employment
Only 29 % women take an active part in the economic activities in Pakistan. They live full time at
home and have no opportunity cost to have a baby.
7. Family Planning
Government should introduce the family planning to the population to control the high growth rate of
population.
8. Increase in Employment
More employment opportunities must be provided to the young, talented, trained and educated
population. It will be helpful to decrease the fast birth rate.
9. Provision of Credit Facilities
Government should provide the easy credit facilities to population to adjust the existing population in
economic activities. It will lead to reduce the population explosion.

Or

• Family planning facilities be made a part of health facilities

• There should be a greater role for local and provincial governments
• Role of NGOs and doctors in disbursement of Aid received for family panning
• Males should be urged to cooperate more
• Status of women to be raised in society as done by present government by giving more seats
in assemblies
• Better health and educational facilities for women
• Issue to be taken as a national crisis
• Role of media to be encouraged especially in rural areas
• Government programs should involve Ullemas and NGOs
• Greater participation of landlords

Conclusion:
Pakistan is today standing at the crossroads. It will either perish forever or will emerge as a stronger
nation. What are needed is a vision and a sincere leadership that could transform dreams into reality. The
problem of overpopulation has now started to haunt us and unless we tackle it pragmatically our dream of
a bright and glorious future will just remain a pious wish. It needs a multi-pronged attack to deal with
overpopulation. A strong Pakistan should be our first priority and if we have to make certain hard
decisions for its accomplishment no one should hesitate to lead and pull the trigger. Indeed, Pakistan
comes first even before our personal vested interests.