Pakistan's population growing and urbanizing fastest in region: World Bank report

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ISLAMABAD (January 25 2009): Pakistan is the highest population growth country in the region with average annual growth of 2.3 percent, World Bank's "world development report for 2009" revealed. Pakistan with 162 million people has been witnessing an annual population growth of 2.3 percent, which is higher from other regional countries ie India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The population of Nepal grew by 2 percent annually, followed by 1.4 percent of India, 1.0 percent Bangladesh and 0.4 percent Sri Lanka. India was heading in terms of total population with 1,123 million, followed by Pakistan 162 million, Bangladesh 159 million, Nepal 28 million and Sri Lanka with only 20 million.

The report further said that Pakistan's per capita income was less than India and Sri Lanka and more relative to Nepal and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka was ahead in per capita income with 1540 dollars followed by India's 950 dollars. Pakistan per capita income was reported at 840 dollars with Bangladesh's 470 dollars and Nepal 340 dollars. Further analysis of the data showed an increasing trend of urbanisation in Pakistan as compared to other regional countries owing to urban-rural disparities.

About 96 and 92 percent people have access to water and sanitation facilities in urban areas as compared to 89 and 41 percent respectively in rural areas. The growth in urbanisation increased from 33.2 in 2000 to 34.9 percent in 2005 and is projected to go over 39.9 percent of the total population in 2015.

The trend of urbanisation was low in other regional countries and in Sri Lanka it decelerated from 15.7 percent in 2000 to 15.1 percent in 2005 and forecast to reach 15.7 percent by 2015. In Sri Lanka about 98 percent people have access to water and sanitation in rural areas.

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