LAHORE: A recent Unicef dataset sheds light on a troubling paradox: in countries where the median age is low, the number of children is higher, and when poverty prevails, the burden deepens with each additional child.
Pakistan is a prime example. Every year, about four million children are born in the country, and nearly 70 per cent of them are born into poor households. This not only stretches already thin family resources but also undermines the government’s poverty reduction efforts. Unless population growth is brought under control, poverty alleviation will remain an uphill, if not impossible, task.
The challenge is not just demographic but economic and social. More children in low-income families means fewer resources per child — less food, inadequate healthcare and little chance of quality education.
The starting point is to make family planning universally accessible, especially in rural and low-income urban communities where unmet need is highest. Many couples either lack reliable access to contraceptives or are misinformed about their use. Expanding outreach through lady health workers and establishing well-equipped family planning centres in underserved areas can bridge this gap. Awareness campaigns that stress the economic and health benefits of smaller families can shift attitudes.
Religious endorsement is equally vital. Partnerships with respected scholars and clerics can counter these myths. Sermons emphasising responsible parenthood and the well-being of children can help normalise family planning as a moral as well as practical choice.
Population management must be integrated into poverty alleviation programmes. The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and similar safety nets could introduce conditional cash transfers linked to family planning outcomes and child welfare. For example, families that adopt birth spacing, keep their children vaccinated and send them to school could receive additional financial support. Such incentives not only reduce fertility but also encourage long-term investments in children’s well-being.
Evidence worldwide shows that girls’ education is the most powerful fertility regulator. Women with secondary education marry later, space births more effectively, and have fewer children overall. Expanding access to affordable schools in rural areas, ensuring girls remain in classrooms, and offering stipends for female students would pay dividends both in reducing fertility and building human capital.
Large families are still seen by many households as a source of labour and old-age security. To counter this mindset, media campaigns must highlight the advantages of small, well-cared-for families. Role models — families who escaped poverty by investing in fewer children’s education — can also be powerful motivators.
Another driver of high fertility among the poor is fear of child mortality. When children frequently die young due to malnutrition and disease, parents see more births as a form of insurance. Improving maternal and child healthcare — through free vaccination programmes, nutrition packages and postnatal family planning services — will not only save lives but also reduce the perceived need for large families.
Ultimately, addressing the poverty-population trap requires strong political will. Policymakers must recognise that unchecked population growth is not just a social issue, but an economic one that directly undermines development goals.
Unless Pakistan makes smaller families both socially desirable and economically rewarding, poverty will continue to reproduce itself at alarming rates. A future where every child is born into a family capable of providing nourishment, education, and dignity is within reach — but only if urgent and practical steps are taken today.
