ISLAMABAD, Feb 5: Pakistan will remain under the burden of overpopulation in the future as out of the country's estimated 151.1 million population, 33.59 million women are in the reproductive age , according to figures issued by the Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP) on Saturday.

"The Socio Demographic Profile of Pakistan 2004" showed that female population in the age group of 15-49 constituted 46.23 per cent of the total female population (72.65 million) and 22.23 per cent of the population of the country.

The depleting resources have already proven insufficient for the present population - a big chunk of which is already living below poverty line - said the report.

The Family Planning Association of Pakistan had collected its data from a number of national and international sources, which showed the total fertility rate per woman was 4.1.

It said the population growth rate was 1.90 per cent, meaning that every year 2.87 million people were added to the population.

The ratio of crude birth rate was 28 per 1,000 persons.

There are 22.61 million married women of reproductive age - 67.31 per cent of the total WRAs and 14.96 per cent of the population.

As many as 23.53 million women (70.05 per cent) out of the WRAs were married, it added. The number of adolescent girls (aged 10-19) was 16.79 million - 23.11 per cent of the female population.

The youth (age group 15-24) were 29.22 million which is 19.34 per cent of the total population. The number of both adolescents and youth (age group 10-24) was 48.81 million, ie 32.30 per cent of the population.

The figures showed that 50.60 million people - 33.49 per cent of the population - were living in the urban areas while 100.50 million people - 66.51 per cent - lived in the rural areas.

There were 78.45 million males who constituted 51.92 per cent of the total population as compared to 72.65 million women; 48.08 per cent of the population.

The number of people under 15-year of age was 65.58 million, 43.40 per cent of the population. Population in the age group of 15-49 was 69.04 million, which is 45.69 per cent of the population.

The numerical size of people in the age group of 50 and above has reached the figure of 16.49 million and was 10.91 per cent of the population.

PROVINCES: With its 83.86 million people, Punjab was leading other provinces and constituted 55.50 per cent of the country's population.

Sindh was second with its 34.71 million people or 22.97 per cent of the population. The 20.46 million population of NWFP constituted only 13.54 per cent of the population.

Only 5 per cent (7.56 million) of the population lived in Balochistan and 2.3 per cent (3.48 million) in Fata.

The profile showed the population of Islamabad to be 1.06 million - 0.70 per cent of the country's population.