Qatar’s population has grown some 92 percent in the past six years, the Qatar Statistics Authority has said.

The population, which first crossed the one-million mark in 2007, stood at 1.92 million at the end of March – its highest ever.

Gulf Times adds:

The March 31 figures also showed that compared to the November 2006 figures of 890,000, the latest Qatar population showed a growth of about 117%. 

The gender imbalance continues to be stark, with less than half a million women living in the country at the end of March, compared to 1.42 million men.

Struggling to cope

Qatar does not appear to have been prepared for the rapid growth, which is attributed to the mega projects that are underway ahead of the 2022 World Cup. According to National Development Strategy estimates, Qatar’s population was expected to rise at some 2 percent annually between 2011 and 2016.

But the population saw a a 7.6 percent increase – from 1.7 million at the end of 2011 to 1.84 million at the end of 2012.

And at the end of January this year, Qatar’s population exceeded 1.9 million, a number it it wasn’t expected to reach even by 2016, according to QNDS figures.

Acknowledging that the growth has put a strain on resources here, including schools, hospitals and roads, Qatar has allocated larger chunks of this year’s record budget to developing these sectors. 

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by The Leaf Writer