Low population growth supports sustainable development
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Foyasal Khan
EVERY year an unprecedented number of approximately 83 million people are added to the world's population. Almost all of this net population increase is in developing countries. But the problem of population growth is not simply a problem of numbers. At stake is human welfare progress. Such rapid population growth is bound to have serious consequences for the well being of all of humanity. It would hamper economic growth, aggravate poverty and inequality, environmental pollution and international migration.
In one word, rapid population growth rate is the main obstacle to sustainable development. So, controlling rapid population growth rate is the demand of the time. Only low population growth rate can support sustainable development.
Rapid population growth rate lowers per capita income growth in most LDCs, especially dependent on agriculture, and experiencing pressures on land and natural resources. On the other hand, low population growth rate is helpful for higher per capita income. The Table 1 shows the countries with low population growth rate and their gross domestic product or GDP (nominal) per capita:
Source: GDP per capita 2007(IMF) and CIA fact book (2006 estimation)
GDPPC (IMF)* = Gross Domestic Product (nominal) per capita (International Monetary Fund)
PGR**= Population Growth Rate
Poverty and Inequality: High population growth rate is one of the main reasons for endemic poverty. Poverty is nothing but lack of resources. It is observed from human poverty index that low population growth rate wipes out poverty. Table 2 illustrates this.
Table 2: Human Poverty Index and Population Growth Rate
Source: Human Poverty Index 2007/2008 and CIA Fact Book (2006 estimation)
Education is the backbone of a nation. Without education, no nation can prosper. Educational status of a country can be observed from its literacy rate. Literacy rate is negatively correlated with population growth rate. Low population growth rate supports high literacy rate. Table 3 illustrates this relationship that can be observed.
Table 3: Literacy Rate and Population Growth Rate
Source: United Nations Development Programs 2007/2008 and CIA Fact Book (2006 estimation)
Rapid population groth makes feeding the world's population more difficult. Over 90 per cent of additional LDC food requirements are caused by population increases.
Table 4 shows the relationship between food production and population growth rate. It also shows five top countries based on food production and low population growth rate. It supports the contention that low population growth rate supports high food production and ensures food security.
Table 4: Food production and Population Growth rate
Source: FAO statistical division 2005 and CIA Fact Book (2006 estimation)
High fertility increases the health risks of pregnancy, and closely spaced births reduce birth weight and increase child mortality rates.
Low population growth rate increases life expectancy at birth, as table 5, shows:
Table 5: Life expectancy and Population Growth Rate
Source: CIA Fact Book (2007 estimation)
The unemployment rate is increasing around the globe at an alarming rate, due to rapid population growth putting extra pressaure on resources. Some countries have already attained low unemployment rate controlling their population growth rate.
Table 6 illustrates this:
Table 6: Unemployment rate and Population Growth Rate
Source: World Fact Book and CIA Fact Book (2006 estimation)
Evidence it shows that rapid population growth is one of the main reasons for corruption. Transparency International's annual corruption perception index (CPI) shows the corruption.Table 6 shows this:
Table 7: Least corrupted countries and Population Growth Rate
Source: CPI, 2007(TI) and CIA Fact Book (2006 estimation)
It is generally concluded that low population growth rate supports sustainable development.
Without controlling rapid population growth rate, sustainable development would remain elusive.
Governments across the world should initiate curriculums to motivate people to go for smaller families. Family planning should be included in the curriculums, at least, in the university level.
EVERY year an unprecedented number of approximately 83 million people are added to the world's population. Almost all of this net population increase is in developing countries. But the problem of population growth is not simply a problem of numbers. At stake is human welfare progress. Such rapid population growth is bound to have serious consequences for the well being of all of humanity. It would hamper economic growth, aggravate poverty and inequality, environmental pollution and international migration.
In one word, rapid population growth rate is the main obstacle to sustainable development. So, controlling rapid population growth rate is the demand of the time. Only low population growth rate can support sustainable development.
Rapid population growth rate lowers per capita income growth in most LDCs, especially dependent on agriculture, and experiencing pressures on land and natural resources. On the other hand, low population growth rate is helpful for higher per capita income. The Table 1 shows the countries with low population growth rate and their gross domestic product or GDP (nominal) per capita:
Source: GDP per capita 2007(IMF) and CIA fact book (2006 estimation)
GDPPC (IMF)* = Gross Domestic Product (nominal) per capita (International Monetary Fund)
PGR**= Population Growth Rate
Poverty and Inequality: High population growth rate is one of the main reasons for endemic poverty. Poverty is nothing but lack of resources. It is observed from human poverty index that low population growth rate wipes out poverty. Table 2 illustrates this.
Table 2: Human Poverty Index and Population Growth Rate
Source: Human Poverty Index 2007/2008 and CIA Fact Book (2006 estimation)
Education is the backbone of a nation. Without education, no nation can prosper. Educational status of a country can be observed from its literacy rate. Literacy rate is negatively correlated with population growth rate. Low population growth rate supports high literacy rate. Table 3 illustrates this relationship that can be observed.
Table 3: Literacy Rate and Population Growth Rate
Source: United Nations Development Programs 2007/2008 and CIA Fact Book (2006 estimation)
Rapid population groth makes feeding the world's population more difficult. Over 90 per cent of additional LDC food requirements are caused by population increases.
Table 4 shows the relationship between food production and population growth rate. It also shows five top countries based on food production and low population growth rate. It supports the contention that low population growth rate supports high food production and ensures food security.
Table 4: Food production and Population Growth rate
Source: FAO statistical division 2005 and CIA Fact Book (2006 estimation)
High fertility increases the health risks of pregnancy, and closely spaced births reduce birth weight and increase child mortality rates.
Low population growth rate increases life expectancy at birth, as table 5, shows:
Table 5: Life expectancy and Population Growth Rate
Source: CIA Fact Book (2007 estimation)
The unemployment rate is increasing around the globe at an alarming rate, due to rapid population growth putting extra pressaure on resources. Some countries have already attained low unemployment rate controlling their population growth rate.
Table 6 illustrates this:
Table 6: Unemployment rate and Population Growth Rate
Source: World Fact Book and CIA Fact Book (2006 estimation)
Evidence it shows that rapid population growth is one of the main reasons for corruption. Transparency International's annual corruption perception index (CPI) shows the corruption.Table 6 shows this:
Table 7: Least corrupted countries and Population Growth Rate
Source: CPI, 2007(TI) and CIA Fact Book (2006 estimation)
It is generally concluded that low population growth rate supports sustainable development.
Without controlling rapid population growth rate, sustainable development would remain elusive.
Governments across the world should initiate curriculums to motivate people to go for smaller families. Family planning should be included in the curriculums, at least, in the university level.