76% of young Pakistanis optimistic despite economic and security challenges: UNFPA

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has reaffirmed the need to place young people at the centre of Pakistan’s development agenda, saying greater efforts are needed to empower them as the country’s future partners, leaders and drivers of progress.

Speaking at a press briefing, UNFPA Representative in Pakistan Dr Luay Shabaneh unveiled the findings of the organisation’s latest global report, Lives, Choices and Futures: What Young People Want and What Shapes Their Decisions about Relationships and Parenthood.

The report is based on responses from more than 100,000 internet users aged 18 to 39 across 73 countries, making it one of the largest studies to examine how young people make decisions about relationships, marriage and reproductive choices.

According to the findings, young people around the world aspire to secure futures, fulfilling relationships and families, but face growing uncertainty. Economic challenges, including financial insecurity and a lack of affordable housing, are among the key factors preventing many from achieving their goals of marriage and parenthood.

More than 1,700 young Pakistanis aged 18 to 29 participated in the survey. The report found that 76% of respondents in Pakistan were optimistic about their future, while around 53% expressed concerns over war, security, financial hardship, inequality, health and environmental risks.

The survey also highlighted a gap between the number of children people have and the number they would like to have. Women in Pakistan have an average of 1.8 children but ideally want 2.5, while men have an average of 2.5 children and would prefer 3.4.

Among Pakistanis aged 35 to 39, around 30% have no children, although 65% of them said they would like to become parents, underscoring the barriers many face in fulfilling their family aspirations.