Population growth amounts to serious concern for any developing country. Developing countries have to keep an eye on the workforce needed to run their country economies. Moreover, these countries, usually, already face the challenge of unemployment on a massive scale. This is a major reason that countries have to reconsider their policies in order to maintain a population growth rate, which might be sustainable for the country’s economy.
Pakistan is a country with a population of about 220 million. In 1947, at the time of independence, the population was about 36 million. So, in 75 years the population has increased by about 180 million. Which has multiplied six times since independence. In comparison, the Chinese population which was recorded at 550 million at the time of independence, during the same time has only increased two times.
According to “World Bank POP growth statistics”: the growth rate for population in Pakistan is the second highest per annum in South Asia. The country has an enormous figure of 1.9% growth in the region. While India and Bangladesh have a population growth rate of about 1.0% each. The Maldives has a per annum growth rate of 0.6%.
This data might is quite suggestive that the population growth rate within Pakistan is quite significantly larger than in other countries. As a country, Pakistan already faces a lot of challenges in managing its population. According to a labor force survey, the unemployment in Pakistan is about 6 percent, with the most rate of unemployment among youth with age 20-24. Within youth unemployment rate is about 12%. Because of massive unemployment among youth, a large portion of youth already resorts to leaving the country for job opportunities abroad. This is a significant reason, why remittances have increased over the years.
Why shall this increment in cash flow not be celebrated? There is a sound reason for not celebrating this cash flow from abroad. The reason is quite simple. In the long term, it is not beneficial for the country for two explicable reasons. Firstly, the country loses a large number of skilled laborers who will now serve abroad. And, secondly, the remittances, which follow would not be flowing for the long term. As, once, their families will settle within those communities the holy cow of remittance flow will stop providing milk.
Thus, there is a strong need that instead of exponential population growth, certain steps shall be taken to manage the already existing workforce and employment generation. So that, instead of relying on remittances flowing from abroad, the country could be self-sufficient in its assets management.
Moreover, unemployment has also a strong correlation with the increase in crimes and deviant behavior. When youth will be unemployed, the opportunities to indulge in crimes will be more fertile for youth. Which would only be a cause of further pain. And, this is already observable in large cities like Karachi the crime rate is increasing with every bygone day. Hence, population management shall be given clear policy objectives and a proper target shall be set viz-a-viz. population control. So that, a sustainable progressive future may be seen nearer rather than far.
