It is
often said that Islam is the fastest- growing religion in the world. This
statement is true because of the pace of demographic transition in the
Muslim-majority countries relative to the rest of world. Middle east and North
Africa (MENA) region, the largest concentration of Muslim population (Above
90%), experienced rapid mortality decline during the second half of the 20th
century whereas fertility rate remained high and population growth reached to
its peak of 3.0 % per year in 1980’s but at the same time the growth rate for
the world reached its peak of 2.0 % annual growth rate more than a decade
earlier. Iran, Lebanon, Tunisia and Turkey have completed their demographic
transition and their total fertility rate (TFR)
reached below 2.1 (replacement level) but at the same time their
population is continued to increase in the coming decades due to young age
structure owing to high fertility in the past. The speed of population growth
will be faster in countries that are in the early or middle stages of
demographic transition. TFR of Pakistan (3.6) is the second highest after
Nigeria (TFR=5.9) in the top ten largest Muslim populations. It is difficult to
predict the pace of demographic transition of a country and Iran surprised the
world through dropping its TFR from 5.6 in 1985 to 2.0 in 2000- the fastest
decline in the world (Fahimi, May et
al. 2013 ).Pakistan is lagging in successful completion
of demographic transition due to the influence of religion, male dominated
society and family system. (Mahmood 2014)
Pakistan has a unique position in the
demographic transition. Pakistan has passed rapidly the first stage of the demographic
transition with the transfer of advanced medical facilities from the advanced
countries whereas Pakistan is lagging in passing through the second stage of
demographic transition and is still in the early phase of second stage in which
birth rate begins to decline.
