Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli cautioned that human existence could be at risk if the population growth does not take place equally alongside development and prosperity. He made these remarks at a programme organized by the Ministry of Health and Population to mark World Population Day-2025 and to introduce the National Population Policy-2082 BS.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Prime Minister Oli emphasized the need for development to align with population growth, urging everyone to view childbearing as a responsibility towards the Earth. He stated that the existence of countries hinges on human presence, asserting that without population, the concept of a country would be void. Oli called for suitable policies and timely action to protect the prosperous existence of the human race.
He further argued that the human race is a crucial resource for creation and urged an end to violence for personal gain. He criticized the paradox of holding seminars on population while producing weapons of mass destruction, which could threaten humankind’s existence.
On a lighter note, PM Oli advised against being influenced by cultural narratives that promote having multiple children by a certain age. Instead, he encouraged adherence to legal marriage provisions, which require individuals to wait until they are 20 years old to marry.
Oli’s remarks are in response to the country’s declining annual population growth rate, which stands at 0.92 percent according to the national census 2021. This rate is reportedly the lowest in 80 years, per the National Statistic Office’s 2024 report. He expressed concern that efforts to raise awareness against having too many children have resulted in some people choosing not to have children at all.
The Prime Minister highlighted that negative population growth in developed countries could have global repercussions, potentially threatening human existence.