PESHAWAR: World Population Day is being observed today (Saturday) across the world including Pakistan to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.
The United Nations established the day to address demographic challenges, promote reproductive rights, and emphasize the link between population growth and sustainable development.
This year, 2026, the World Population Day theme is “Realizing the hopes and aspirations of young people – today and for the future”. This theme highlights the need to empower today’s youth to make informed choices about their health, education, and families, so they can shape a fair and hopeful future and support sustainable population growth.
The date itself commemorates “Five Billion Day” on July 11, 1987, when the global human population reached the 5 billion mark. This milestone sparked global concern about how rapid growth could outpace resources, exacerbate poverty, and strain the environment.
With the global population surpassing 8 billion, the day serves as an important checkpoint to discuss how rising populations impact healthcare systems, housing, water supplies, and climate change vulnerabilities.
It challenges policymakers to balance demographic realities such as aging populations in some regions versus youth-dominated populations in others with long-term environmental and economic sustainability. The global population has now surpassed 8 billion, and it’s expected to reach 9 billion by 2037.
Today, Pakistan joins the international community in observing World Population Day and reaffirms its commitment to responsible population planning as a cornerstone of sustainable development and national prosperity.
Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world and ranks among the countries with a significant youth population. More than 65 percent of our population is under the age of 30, this no doubt represents a tremendous national asset and a powerful driver of economic and social progress.
In Pakistan, the annual population growth rate of 2.55 per cent, presents significant challenges for a country with regards to economic planning, employment generation, education, healthcare, housing, food security, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability.
Read also: Pakistan Population Hits Record 252 Million, Gender Gap 7.1 Million
