Islamabad (GNP): On World Population Day 2026, UNFPA calls for a renewed national commitment to place young people at the centre of Pakistan’s development agenda — not only as beneficiaries of policies and programmes, but as partners, leaders and drivers of the country’s future.
In alignment with this year’s theme ‘Realizing the hopes and aspirations of young people – today and for the future’ UNFPA has released a global report on the findings of the Demographic Futures Survey, based on responses from more than 100,000 Internet-connected people aged 18 to 39 in 73 countries. The report, titled “Lives, Choices and Futures: What young people want and what shapes their decisions about relationships and parenthood,” is one of the largest bodies of evidence to date on how young people make reproductive choices.
The report finds that across the world, young people aspire to meaningful futures, fulfilling relationships and families. Yet many are making life’s biggest decisions amid growing uncertainty. From economic and housing insecurity to gender inequality, the majority of young people do not see their current circumstances as conducive to achieving their aspirations, including for partnering and parenting.
More than 1,700 people (18-29 years) from Pakistan participated in the survey. The data shows that in Pakistan, 76% respondents feel positive or very positive about what the future holds. Around 53% are worried about conflict and security risks, economic insecurity and inequality, and global health and environmental risks.
In parenthood aspirations and realities, most people responded that their ideal family size is more than their actual family size. For example, in Pakistan, women have an average 1.8 children but would like to have 2.5; men with an actual number of 2.5 children will ideally have 3.4 children. Males reported a higher ideal number of children on average than females. In Pakistan, 30% of people (aged 35-39) reported having no children, 65% of them would like to have children.
The survey reminds us that reproductive choices are shaped by real-life conditions. Young people identify financial security, stable employment, emotional readiness, health, housing, gender equality and access to services as essential conditions for building the lives and families they aspire to. These findings challenge the idea that population policies can be reduced to fertility targets. Population policy must be about people — their rights, choices, dignity, opportunities and aspirations.
For Pakistan, these findings carry a unique urgency. With a population of around 257.2 million, and nearly one-third of its people aged 10–24, Pakistan’s demographic future will be shaped by the opportunities, choices and capabilities of its young people today. This is not only a population issue; it is an economic, social, gender equality and human capital imperative — in plain terms, a question of whether Pakistan’s economy and society can make the most of its young workforce.
Connectivity is also central to this agenda. In an increasingly digital world, Internet access is not only about technology; it is about access to information, learning, services, jobs, voice and participation.
Young people who remain digitally excluded, particularly girls, rural youth and those from poorer households, may face even greater barriers to realizing their aspirations. Pakistan is already home to one of the world’s largest freelance workforces, disproportionately young, a glimpse of what connectivity can unlock when access is made equitable.
UNFPA urges federal and provincial stakeholders, development partners, civil society, religious and community leaders, academia, the private sector and youth-led organizations to work together to create enabling conditions for young people to thrive.
UNFPA calls for action in four areas: building young people’s skills and access to decent work, including the digital economy; integrating youth-friendly reproductive health services into universal health coverage, with a focus on birth spacing; advancing gender equality and reproductive rights, protecting girls from child marriage through sustained engagement with religious and community leaders; and strengthening health systems and dignified work for women, including midwifery, while addressing emerging risks like climate displacement and disability inclusion.
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World Population Day is a reminder that Pakistan’s future will be determined not by demographic trends alone, but by the quality of choices made today. UNFPA remains committed to supporting the Government of Pakistan and partners in advancing a future where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
