For the first time in the history of the country, the population here has surpassed 2 million people, according to figures released today by the Qatar Statistics Authority.

In its monthly preliminary figures on population, QSA said 2,035,106 people were estimated to be within the state of Qatar as of Sept. 30, 2013.

The breakdown of 1,509,211 males and 525,895 females maintains the standard ratio of 3:1 men to women here.

In May, Qatar reached its previous record of 1.963 million people before the summer heat, school breaks and annual leave triggered a seasonal drop in population figures.

According to the Qatar National Development Strategy, which forecast growth from 2011 to 2016, the population was not expected to surpass 1.9 million even three years from now.

But a more recent report, the Qatar Economic Outlook 2013-2014, predicts that the nation’s population will surpass the 2.2 million mark by 2014, largely due to demand for expat labor in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup.

The rapid growth is taking its toll, straining schools, healthcare services and roads, but Qatar is working to develop these sectors to accommodate the influx.

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by dr feel gud