Pakistan: Country Profile

The sixth most populated country in the world, Pakistan is essentially an agricultural country with around 67.5 per cent of the population living in rural areas. There is a wide income disparity between the poorest and the wealthiest households in Pakistan. The population is 97 per cent Muslim. As a traditional society Pakistan harbours strong values on issues regarding the family, reproductive health and gender relationships.

Pakistan has a long standing family planning programme, however, a lack of trained female personnel, inadequate community outreach and poor geographical coverage, have constrained progress and rapid population growth has eroded economic advances.