Asia, the land of mystic beauty as well as unveiled sufferings, depicts economic paradox as barely as it exists. Though biggest among continents with respect to population, being reported as more than 60.00 percent of world’s population, it constitutes less than 25.00 percent of world’s area. It has emblem of accommodating six worlds’ largest countries __ led by China __ out of ten, on its right shoulder and undoubtedly a mass of gigantic threats (survival, hunger, poverty…) on left one. Asia is sub-divided into different parts via location: Western Asia, South Central Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia having eighteen, fourteen, eleven and six countries respectively.
Pakistan, being located at South Central Asia, bears demographic prominence in Asia and in the rest of the world. It is the homeland of app. 162.20 million people that make 4.10 percent of Asia and 2.50 percent of world population. Policy makers and official __ former work to facilitate population control programs and later (adopting short cut) work directly with figures __ have done much to reduce growth rates but targets are still at length. According to some crude estimates, till 2050, 295 millions people __ 5.50 and 3.20 percent of Asia and world population respectively __ are expected to enroll in the list of ‘Proud Pakistanis’. Assuming the growth rates elsewhere constant. On the continuum of Asia’s population, Pakistan stands at 4 after China, India and Indonesia. While it stands at 5 in world population ranking including Brazil at 4.
Among 25 selected countries of Asia, Pakistan have 3rd highest births per thousands after Afghanistan and Iraq while Japan is observed to have lowest. As far as death rate is concerned Pakistan occupies 4th position, succeeded by Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Iraq while Saudi Arabia being lowest on scale. Infant morality rate is 4th highest in Pakistan after Afghanistan, Iraq and Tajikistan. Singapore lies on other extreme of scale.
Dependency ratio, the ratio of population below 15 years and above 65 years to total population, is observed to be 2nd highest in Pakistan after Afghanistan. Dependency ratio is 46.00 percent in Pakistan; 42.00 percent below the age of 15 and 4.00 percent above the age of 65. Japan is observed to be having lowest percentage of population below 15 years, that is, 14.00 percent while highest percentage of population above 65 years, that is, 20.00 percent.
Life expectancy for females is higher than that of males in all selected countries. Life expectancies are 61 and 63 years for male and female respectively in Pakistan. Afghanistan possesses lowest rank on the life expectancy scale for both male and female __ 41 and 42 years respectively __ and Japan and Israel possess highest posts in terms of life expectancy of male and female: 78 and 82 years respectively.
Data for the percentage of population earning below $2 is not available for most of the Asian countries. Most of the remaining countries have 40.00 percent of their population below the poverty line. Iran have 7.00 percent of population earning below $2 per day, while Bangladesh have highest proportion of population earning below $2 per day, that is, 83.00 percent. Pakistan lies in between containing 66.00 percent of population below poverty line.
Land resources are most plenteous in China and India respectively while Pakistan is ranked on 7th position. Maldives is a country with scarcest land resources. Singapore has highest population density of 17946 and Mangolia showed lowest single digit population density of 4. Pakistan shows moderate population density of 528.
These facts highlight the demography of Asian countries. High burden of population growth, high infant mortality, high fertility rate, high population density and dependency ratio are moving along with low GNI PPP per capita and high percentage of population earning below $2.00 per day in most of Asian Countries. Pakistan, in most of these above-mentioned demographic categories, lies in the list of worst five. We are facing a long walk to betterment ahead that needs a pace faster than ever.
Source
Data has been taken from world population data sheet.
Note
Comparison has been made for the year 2005
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