ISLAMABAD: A new United Nations report has warned that the Asia-Pacific region now stands at a crossroads in the wake of significant strides and progress over the past decades, including with regard to health, poverty eradication, sanitation, nutrition and education.

The report Asia-Pacific Population and Development Report 2023 released by the UN Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific on Monday, says the emerging demographic trends, such as population ageing, low fertility and increased migration, coupled with the challenges of socio-economic inequalities and vulnerabilities, and the impact of climate change, disasters, conflicts, the Covid-19 pandemic and digital transformation, increase the need for countries to take urgent action to harness the opportunities of these changes and address the challenges.

Moreover, population dynamics in Asia and the Pacific are driving population trends at the global level. Inequalities and vulnerabilities have been exacerbated by climate change, disasters, conflicts, the Covid-19 pandemic and digital transformations, the report maintained.

In 2013, there were 4.3 billion people living in the region. By 2023, the population had grown to 4.7bn, and it is projected to increase to 5.2bn by 2050. Importantly, recent and projected population growth at the regional level is occurring at a declining rate. In several countries, there is negative population growth, resulting in population decline.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2024