Pakistan's young population could power its economy. The Economic Survey shows why it won't.

Twenty years ago, I asked whether Pakistan’s swelling working-age population would prove a demographic dividend or a demographic threat. The answer, I argued then, depended entirely on what governments chose to do, in education, health, and labour market policy, while the window remained open. That window ran from 1990 to roughly 2045 at that time. We are now 35 years into it. The Economic Survey 2025-26, released on Thursday, offers the most current evidence on how the choice has been made. ...

By none@none.com (Durre Nayab)