Population: growth, structure, distribution and urban areas

Last time

Before we start: last time, in Trade, transport and telecommunications, you learned these points. Here they are again on one card. Keep them in mind, because today builds on them.

A large and growing population

Pakistan has one of the largest populations in the world: over 240 million at the 2023 census, and still growing fast. Where people live, their ages, and the jobs they do all matter for the country's future. This lesson covers growth, structure, distribution, migration and cities.

Why the population grows fast

The birth rate is high: early marriage, large families valued for help and support in old age, and limited use of family planning. The death rate has fallen with better health care, vaccinations, clean water and food. So natural increase, births minus deaths, is high.

Population structure

Pakistan's population pyramid has a wide base: a large share of children and young people. This means a high dependency ratio: many dependants for each working-age person, and great need for schools and jobs. The share of older people, over 60, is slowly rising as life expectancy improves.

Why more older people

Better health care and living standards mean people live longer. As birth rates slowly fall, older people form a bigger percentage of the total. This will mean more need for pensions and health care in the future.

Distribution and density

Population density is the number of people per square kilometre. Density is high on the irrigated Indus Plain, especially in Punjab and around cities such as Karachi and Lahore. It is low in the mountains, the deserts and most of Balochistan.

Factors in density

Physical factors: flat land, fertile soil, water, and a mild climate attract people; steep, cold or dry land does not. Human factors: jobs, industry, transport, schools and hospitals attract people to cities. For example, steep mountains have thin soil and short growing seasons, so few people can farm there.

Migration

Rural-urban migration: people move from villages to cities, pushed by poverty and lack of jobs, and pulled by work, education and health care. International migration: many Pakistanis work abroad, especially in the Gulf, and send money home. Pakistan has also received refugees, especially from Afghanistan.

Urban growth

Pakistan's cities, especially Karachi and Lahore, have grown very fast. Problems: shortage of housing, so informal settlements, katchi abadis, grow; congestion; pollution; and pressure on water and sewage. Solutions: low-cost housing, better public transport, and improving services in smaller towns and villages.

Employment

A large share of workers are in agriculture, but more are moving to industry and services. Many work in the informal sector, with low pay and no security. Unemployment and informal work lower GDP, because people are not fully productive, and the government collects less tax.

Mistakes that lose marks

Mistake one: saying the death rate is high. It has fallen; the birth rate is high. Mistake two: listing density factors without saying physical or human. Mistake three: describing urban problems without solutions when asked. The fix: correct trends, sorted factors, and developed points.

The full-marks tip

The full-marks tip: explain growth with both births and deaths: a high birth rate and a falling death rate. Sort density factors into physical and human, each with an example.

On one card

So, on one card: population. Keep it for revision.