Visiting Fellow John May writes a letter to the Financial Times to address the need for a demographic transition in Pakistan.
The following letter originally appeared in the Financial Times.
Sir, In addition to its democratic transition, Pakistan will need to undergo its demographic transition; that is, to achieve a decline of its fertility rates (“A fragile transition”, Analysis, December 20). The lack of such decline, or just the slow pace of it, will make more fragile the democratic transition that your article describes so well. A rapid decline in fertility could bring a demographic dividend, as the active population will be relatively larger and the dependency ratios become more favourable. This demographic change, however, will require strong leadership, far-reaching planning and sound institutions. Indeed the two transitions, democratic and demographic, should reinforce each other.
John F. May, Visiting Fellow, Center for Global Development, Washington, DC, US
Read it here.
