The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has emphasized the importance of prioritizing youth in Pakistan’s development strategy, urging enhanced efforts to empower them as future leaders, partners, and catalysts for progress.
At a recent press briefing, UNFPA’s Pakistan Representative, Dr. Luay Shabaneh, presented findings from the agency’s latest global study titled Lives, Choices and Futures: What Young People Want and What Shapes Their Decisions about Relationships and Parenthood. This extensive report draws on responses from over 100,000 internet users aged 18 to 39 across 73 countries, making it one of the most comprehensive analyses of young people’s decision-making regarding relationships, marriage, and reproductive choices.
The study reveals that while young people worldwide aspire to secure futures, meaningful relationships, and families, they face increasing uncertainty. Economic difficulties, such as financial instability and the scarcity of affordable housing, are significant obstacles hindering many from realizing their goals of marriage and parenthood.
In Pakistan, more than 1,700 young individuals aged 18 to 29 took part in the survey. Notably, 76% of these respondents expressed optimism about their future prospects. However, approximately 53% also voiced concerns related to war, security, financial struggles, inequality, health issues, and environmental threats.
The report further highlights a discrepancy between the actual number of children people have and the number they ideally desire. Pakistani women currently have an average of 1.8 children but would prefer to have 2.5, while men have an average of 2.5 children with an ideal number of 3.4. Among Pakistanis aged 35 to 39, about 30% are childless, yet 65% of this group wish to become parents, indicating significant barriers to fulfilling their family aspirations.
