Overview
- Pakistan enters 2026 as the world’s fifth most populous country with a population above 225 million, UNFPA says.
- UNFPA calls for overhauling the National Finance Commission formula to reward progress on gender equality, climate resilience, balanced population outcomes, and quality health and education services.
- The agency urges implementation of Council of Common Interests recommendations with defined timelines, clear accountability, sustained domestic financing, and strong population data for evidence-based planning.
- UNFPA frames population as a catalyst for sustainable, inclusive development rather than a burden.
- Persistent gaps—high maternal mortality, unmet family planning needs, early marriage, gender-based violence, and unequal access in remote areas—are cited as drivers of urgency alongside stalled fertility decline and growing climate pressures.