Important Facts and figures 2023-01-13

Be part of our community

POPULATION:
From around 36 million in 1947, we have increased to around 220m and at this
high rate of growth we are projected to number 350m by the year 2050, ie in the
next 27 years only.

NMR rate
We have the second highest neonatal mortality rate (NMR) in the world, ie out of
every 1,000 live births, 40 newborns die within 28 days of life.

In the company of South Sudan which also has an NMR of 40.

The NMR of Finland is 1 and that of Iran 8.

STUNTED CHILDREN:
A shocking 37.6 per cent of children less than five years of age in Pakistan are
stunted.
WOMEN HEALTH STATUS:
In 2018, 42pc of women aged 15-49, ie women of reproductive age, had moderate
iron deficiency anaemia which is a major reason for underweight children born to
these mothers and also a risk factor for maternal mortality due to post-partum
haemorrhage.

DISEASES in PAKISTAN:
With an estimated 10m people living with hepatitis C, Pakistan is now home to the
world’s largest population of patients infected by the virus, surpassing even China,
India and Nigeria.

UNNECCESSARY INJECTIONS:
Statistics for injections in Pakistan are mind-boggling: the highest number of
injections the world over are given in Pakistan, ie 8-10 injections per person per
year and 94pc of these are not needed at all.

An estimated 510,000 new TB cases emerge every year and approximately 15,000
patients develop drug-resistant TB.
TOBBACO CONSUMPTION:

According to 2019 estimates, 19.1pc of the population, ie around 42m adults,

which includes 31.8pc of men and 5.8pc of women, consume tobacco in one form
or the other.

LIFE expectancy:
Current life expectancy in Pakistan is 67.7 years.

An average Pakistani lives 17.3 years less than Hongkongers, who have the highest
life expectancy, ie 85.2 years.

An average Pakistani’s lifespan is almost 10 years less than a Sri Lankan, nine
years less than an Iranian, seven years less than a Chinese and five years less than
a Bangladeshi or a Vietnamese.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT:

But nearly 45 years later, Pakistan still has a long way to go to empower its
women.
The Global Gender Gap Index 2022 issued by the World Economic Forum ranks
Pakistan 145th out of 146 countries.

Similarly, the World Gender Gap Index of UN Women 2022 ranks Pakistan
145/156 for economic participation and opportunity, 135/156 for educational
attainment, 143/156 for health and survival and 95/156 for political
empowerment.

EDUCATION:
According to Unicef data, approximately 20 million students are enrolled at pre-
primary and primary levels in the public and private sector in Pakistan and the
student-teacher ratio is 44.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2023