AS of 31 October 2025, the world’s total population has reached 8.18 billion. Along with this increase, many new questions and concerns have arisen for the people of the Earth. Will this rapidly growing world population truly make this planet a place worthy of being called the home of the “Ashraf-ul-Makhluqat”? Will humans be able to live a life that reflects this dig-nity?
Will these 8.18 billion people be able to live free from the fear of hunger or will many still consider scraps of bread and leftover bones from garbage bins as blessings to satisfy their hunger? Will the wealth of knowledge truly be accessible to all humankind or will it remain the privilege of the elite? If we observe the world from the perspective of developed and developing nations, the situa-tion seems even more alarming. Out of the 8.18 billion people, 1.35 billion live in developed countries while 6.83 billion live in developing ones. Will basic human rights such as labour and employment be available equally to all? The answer is no.
If not, then every conscious individual must think and discuss what our responsibilities are and how we can play our part. When it comes to responsibility, we must act both collectively as a nation and individually as citizens.
Until a few years ago, Pakistan was the eighth most populous country in the world. Today, it has become the fifth and if the current rate of population growth continues, it will soon rank fourth. The issue of population in Pakistan is particularly serious because it lies at the root of many social and environmental problems.
This issue is not just about the number of people but about their quality of life. Problems such as child malnutrition, lack of education and various other deprivations all stem from popula-tion growth. The question is: can Pakistan afford such a large population, given that its re-sources are rapidly shrinking and a significant portion of its people live below the poverty line?
Basic rights such as education, health, food and employment have become inaccessible for the common man. Every rational person would answer that Pakistan cannot bear this burden. Then why are we neglecting our responsibilities and adding to this burden every year?
Pakistan’s current population has exceeded 250 million, increasing at an annual rate of 2.56%, which equals an increase of about six million people per year more than the total population of New Zealand added each year. If this trend continues, Pakistan’s population will double in just 30 years while, in comparison, Iran’s will double in 78 years, Bangladesh’s in 54 years, Malaysia’s in 64 years, Indonesia’s in 70 years, India’s in 70 years and The United States’ in 140 years. The biggest question is: are we increasing our resources at the same rate as our population? The answer is a Big No. Currently, 25.1 million children in Pakistan are out of school. According to World Bank statistics, the poverty rate in Pakistan is 44.7% and it continues to rise. Every year, 1.5 to 2 million new young people enter the job market but our economic structure is unable to provide employment for them.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Faisalabad.
