According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’ recent 2023 population census, the enumerated population has reached 230.4 million—indicating an increase of 8.1% from the 2017 census. While the fertility rate has dropped globally, it remains stubbornly high in Pakistan where women and girls lack access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, including contraception. Rapid population growth seems like a daunting prospect for a country struggling with public finances and political meltdown. In this episode, Dr. Ijaz Nabi and Dr. Zeba Sathar discuss some key issues concerning population growth in Pakistan.
Dr. Ijaz Nabi is Country Director of Pakistan at the International Growth Centre (IGC). He is a member of Pakistan Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, chairs the boards of Punjab Population Innovation Fund and Punjab Skills Development Fund, and is on the board of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). He formerly worked at the World Bank in Washington DC (1986-2008), working in Mexico, Korea, Thailand (leading the World Bank team during the East Asian financial crisis), Malaysia, Korea, Laos and Myanmar. In 2002-2008, he was Manager of Economic Policy for South Asia region.
Dr. Zeba Sathar is a senior programme associate with the Poverty, Gender, and Youth programme and the Country Director of the Population Council in Islamabad, Pakistan, where she manages one of the largest Council offices, overseeing a diverse program of technical assistance, research, and capacity building. Dr. Sathar has a PhD in Medical Demography from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and an MSc in Demography from the London School of Economics (LSE).