ISLAMABAD: New projections released by the United Nations say Pakistan is among six of the 10 largest countries in the world whose population has been projected to exceed 300 million by 2050.

At present, the country’s population has been estimated to be around 190m. By the year 2030 the population would be 244m, and by 2100, Pakistan’s population could be 364m, according to the revised projections made in the report.

Key findings of the ‘World Population Prospects 2015’ released by the UN on Wednesday listed China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and the United States the other five countries to have 300m population by 2050.

Know more: India set to become world's most populous country by 2022

Among the 10 largest countries, five are in Asia and Pakistan is among them. Other countries are Bangladesh, China, India and Indonesia.

During 2015-2050, half of the world’s population growth is expected to be concentrated in nine countries: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, US, Indonesia and Uganda.

Within seven years, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China. Currently, China’s population is approximately 1.38 billion compared with 1.31bn of India.

World population continues to grow though more slowly than in the recent past. Ten years ago, it was growing by 1.24 per cent per year. Today, it is growing by 1.18pc per year or approximately an additional 83m people annually.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2015

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