ISLAMABAD: Around 17.3 percent of married couples in Pakistan do not have access to family planning services, the chairperson of the 17th Parliamentary Forum on Population (PFP) said on Thursday, noting that the country’s population is expected to reach 390 million by 2050.

Pakistan is recognized as the fifth most populous country in the world with 260 million people, with more than 65 percent of its population under the age of 30. However, with a fragile economy, policymakers fear Pakistan’s rising population presents it with significant challenges linked to economic planning, education, health care, housing, food, environment and infrastructure development.

Pakistani authorities have stressed the need to adopt family planning practices, which include using contraceptives, counseling couples on birth spacing, and running awareness campaigns on maternal and reproductive health care. Many families do not practice family planning in Pakistan owing to financial barriers, lack of awareness and opposition from male members of the family.

The 17th meeting of the PFP featured legislators from the Senate, National Assembly, provincial assemblies and Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to discuss concrete measures to address population challenges on Thursday. Senator Sherry Rehman, chairperson of the PFP, chaired the meeting which was convened by the Population Council with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

“Some 17.3 percent of married couples do not have access to family planning services,” Rehman told lawmakers during the session. “The contraceptive prevalence rate in Pakistan stands at just 34 percent.”

Rehman noted that Pakistan’s population stands at 260 million with an annual growth rate of 2.55 percent, adding that at this rate it means the country is bound to grow to a population of 390 million by 2050.

She said it is essential to provide young people with access to education, skills development and employment opportunities, warning that failure to take “timely measures” could exacerbate the challenges posed by the growing population.

She said more than 60 percent of Pakistan’s population cannot afford a healthy diet, noting that the population issues do not concern women along but the development of entire families and the country.

“It is essential to abolish taxes on contraceptives and related products,” Rehman said. “Family planning services must be affordable and accessible in every region.”

She said Pakistan will need approximately 104 million new jobs by 2040 and around 15.5 million new housing units by the same year.

Pakistan’s government established the National Population Council in July to formulate a comprehensive and effective national strategy on population and development.

The forum aims to ensure policy coordination between federal and provincial governments, strengthen institutional collaboration, and provide strategic policy guidance for the implementation of the National Population Program. It will also facilitate timely and effective decision making in line with national priorities.