Changing Pattern of Population Growth and Structure in Punjab, Pakistan

With regard to the size of population Punjab is the Pakistan’s largest region. Its share in the size of population and its role in the growth of overall population of Pakistan and South Asia is highly significant. Since several past decades its population is growing rapidly. The impact of unprecedented population growth is manifold. Besides putting direct stress on food and other resources, it is creating numerous socio-economic and administrative problems. Rapid increment in the number of individuals is causing change in population structure also which is indirectly giving birth to unmanageable socio-economic and other problems. Specifically acceleration in the process of urbanization, changing pattern of the spatial distribution of population, age and sex structure, marital status composition and socio-cultural setup are the crucial aspects that call for special attention of the planners and policy makers. The study in point looks into all these aspects of the population of Punjab and based on careful examination suggests that all these aspects have considerable say in shaping idiosyncratic demographic profile of the region. Therefore, they must be monitored appropriately and incessantly and should be given proper weightage in planning policies to achieve the state of balance between population and resources.