Navigating the Population-Development Nexus in Pakistan By Qaiser Rizwan Abbasi

While decaying democratic institutions have been deteriorating public service delivery, governance failures in Pakistan have paved the way for ‘poly-crises’—many crises that converge to reinforce each other and create a tougher challenge. Decades of missed opportunities and governance faultlines since Pakistan’s inception, have led to multidimensional challenges—growing political polarisation, economic stagnation and financial distress, constitutional crisis, and above all, the emergence of non-traditional security challenges. What is being viewed as a highly destructive threat, among all, which poses a daunting challenge to the country’s sustainability is: ‘The Ticking Population Bomb’.

With a population exceeding 230 million, Pakistan ranks as the world’s fifth most populous nation. According to the Population Reference Bureau, 2022, Pakistan’s population is projected to reach 302 million by 2040. This rapidly changing demographic profile of the country presents both opportunities and challenges for political decision-makers, and social scientists alike. Can policymakers—those responsible for changing the fate of the nation—leverage such a massive population to turn it into a ‘Demographic Dividend’?

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