«High birth rates in India, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria are the irresponsibility of these countries’ governments» — editorial position

This piece has two parts: the news and context with sources, followed by the Sardaana News editorial position.

News: Uzbekistan’s population tops 39.5 million

UzDaily.uz reported on 19 October 2026, citing the National Statistics Committee, that Uzbekistan’s resident population reached 39.54 million on 1 October 2026 — up 692,200, or 1.8%, in a year. The most populous region is Samarkand (4.46 million), followed by Fergana (4.29 million) and Tashkent region (3.8 million); the capital, Tashkent, has 3.28 million.

Context: fertility, population and poverty

World Bank data (based on the UN World Population Prospects 2024):

• India: population about 1.464 billion (2025), total fertility rate 1.96 births per woman (2024), growth 0.9% a year, GDP per capita about $2,700, share living on under $3 a day 2.6% (2023). India is the world’s most populous country; the UN projects it will peak at about 1.7 billion in the 2060s.
• Uzbekistan: fertility 3.49 (2024), growth 1.9% a year, GDP per capita about $3,970 (2025), $3-a-day poverty 2.3%.
• Bangladesh: population about 175.7 million, fertility 2.14, growth 1.2%, GDP per capita about $2,600, poverty 5.9% (2022).
• Nigeria: population about 237.5 million, fertility 4.38, growth 2.1%, GDP per capita about $1,220, $3-a-day poverty 41.8% (2022).

For comparison, replacement-level fertility is about 2.1 births per woman. GDP per capita in all four countries is a small fraction of that in the US, Canada or Western Europe.

Migration

According to the UN, there are about 304 million international migrants worldwide (2024), and India is the largest country of origin. Rich countries are tightening rules: Canada’s 2025–2027 levels plan cut permanent-resident admissions from a previously planned 500,000 to 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027, and for the first time capped temporary residents — students and foreign workers.

Robots and AI

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), 542,000 industrial robots were installed worldwide in 2024. South Korea has the highest robot density: 1,220 robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees (China 567, world average 177). China is the largest market: 295,000 installations in 2024, 54% of global demand, and its operational stock passed 2 million units.

The World Economic Forum projects that by 2030 technology will create 170 million jobs and displace 92 million. The IMF estimates that AI affects almost 40% of jobs worldwide and about 60% in advanced economies.

Sardaana News editorial position

High birth rates in India, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria are the irresponsibility of these countries’ governments. These states are already poor, and population growth multiplies poverty and can lead to social catastrophe. Governments that fail to invest in education, family planning and jobs push the cost of their inaction onto future generations.

The rich countries of Asia and Europe, the United States and Canada will no longer take migrants from these countries as they did before. The AI revolution is at stake: in 15–20 years rich countries will need robots, not labour hands. China and South Korea are already demonstrating this successfully. The peoples of these countries deserve a better future — and responsibility for it lies with their governments.