Ahsan Iqbal Disturbed by Pakistan’s Population Growth

Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal expressed deep concern over the rapid population growth in Pakistan, warning that it is eroding half of the country's economic growth and posing a significant threat to sustainable development. During the inaugural meeting of the National Population Council's Executive Committee on November 2, 2026, Iqbal emphasized that the country's population growth rate had decreased from 2.4 percent in 1980 to 2.55 percent in the 2023 census, but this decline was alarming and needed immediate attention.

Iqbal argued that population growth figures were not arbitrary numbers but indicative of critical issues concerning Pakistan's future, its children, and the endurance of national resources. He stressed that achieving sustainable development and economic prosperity would be challenging without striking a balance between population growth and the available resources.

The minister highlighted the importance of controlling population growth to meet the escalating demands for education, healthcare, employment, and basic services. He pointed out that when the economy expands by 5 percent but the population grows by 2.5 percent, real per capita economic growth dwindles to just 2.5 percent. Iqbal stressed that population growth control was crucial in addressing the mounting demands for essential services.

Moreover, Iqbal criticized the distribution of national resources, asserting that assigning 82 percent of the allocation based on population size incentivized population growth. He advocated for the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award to be tied to development and sustainability indicators, thereby encouraging provinces that maintain a more balanced population growth rate.

Beyond health care and family planning, Iqbal underscored the necessity to focus on girls' education, women's economic empowerment, and social awareness as part of the solution to the population challenge. He urged federal and provincial governments to treat population growth as a national emergency and devise a comprehensive strategy to tackle it. Iqbal firmly believed that addressing this issue was vital for Pakistan's economic security, achieving development targets, and ensuring a better future for generations to come.