A growing population can be a national strength or a weakness. “Too many mouths and too little bread” is an old proverb, but in Pakistan today it is less a saying and more a lived reality. The speed of our population growth combined with stagnant economic productivity, has tied population and poverty into one inseparable crisis. According to the World Population Review, Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world.

High population growth directly fuels poverty by overstretching food supply, housing, jobs, schools, and healthcare. Poverty, in turn, fuels high population growth when poor households rely on larger families for survival and lack access to family planning. The outcome is a vicious cycle: either we must increase production to match rising numbers, or we must control population growth to break poverty’s grip.

Pakistan’s 2023 Census counted 241.5 million people, an alarming increase of nearly 34 million people in just 6 years. That is the size of an entire new country within our borders. The growth rate remains close to 2.5 percent per year—among the highest in Asia. On the other hand, the GDP per capita is increasing at about 2.7 percent which means the real increase in GDP per capita is a meager 0.1–0.2 percent.

In practical terms, the average citizen is barely any better off than before. The effect is most harshly felt by the poor. The World Bank estimates that 42 percent of Pakistanis now live below the poverty line of USD 3.65/day (PPP). On top of this, the unprecedented events such as the 2025 floods exacerbate the economic situation, pushing already vulnerable families into even deeper despair.

The opportunities in Pakistan are not expanding at the pace of its population, creating fiercer competition for limited jobs, housing and education. Those from the privileged class........

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