Pakistan's population to reach 242 million by 2025: UN report

• Pakistan's population will hit 242 million by 2025.
  
• The current estimated population of Pakistan is 212 million.
  
• It is expected that the cities of Pakistan will accommodate 250 million people by the year 2030.
  

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's population will hit 242 million by 2025, according to a new United Nations (UN) report.

The current estimated population of Pakistan is 212 million, making it the fifth most populous country in the world.

With the expected trajectory of population growth, it has been projected that the urban areas will be forced to accommodate 250 million people by the year 2030.

Read more: Is Pakistan headed for a hunger pandemic?

Currently, 36.9% of the total population of Pakistan resides in urban areas. The ratio is expected to increase to 50% by 2050.

The urban population is growing at a rate of 3% annually, the report highlighted.

The highest population increase has been noticed in Lahore, where the population has increased from 5 million to 11 million. The smallest cities, like Quetta and Islamabad, have also showed double digit population growth.

Considering the growth rate of the urban population presently, the slum population is also likely to grow by 2030 due to a lack of urban planning. Currently, around 32 million people live in slums.

To improve the living conditions of these settlements and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, an improvement in the health and socio-economic conditions of slum-dwellers is required, the UN report underscored.