Topic » Population Trends and Demography
In 2011, the world’s population will surpass 7 billion. While the rate of population growth has slowed in most parts of the world, we still increase by nearly 80 million people every year—the equivalent of adding another U.S. to the world every four years. The number of people on the planet has doubled since 1960, and if current growth rates continue, the world’s population would hit 11 billion by 2050. Common estimates of a 9 billion plateau for world population rest of questionable assumptions about falling fertility rates and the availability of contraception. Currently, 215 million women around the world want to avoid pregnancy but need contraception.
Most countries in the developing world have high fertility rates and are getting younger; some developed countries have low fertility rates and are aging. Research has shown that demographics can have a significant impact on countries’ stability, governance, economic development and the well-being of its people. PAI believes that the future of population growth will be shaped by actions we take today, including providing access to family planning.
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
The Shape of Things to Come – Why Age Structure Matters To A Safer, More Equitable World
Updated Report available: The Shape of Things to Come: The Effects of Age Structure on Development By Elizabeth Leahy with Robert Engelman, Carolyn Gibb Vogel, Sarah Haddock and Tod Preston What follows is the result of more than two years of … Continue reading
Post
By the numbers: Any way you slice it, women need contraception
Last week, a new study out of The Lancet projected that in 2015, 233 million married or in-union women worldwide will have an unmet need for modern family planning. The bad news: that’s 12 million more women globally since 2010 … Continue reading
Policy Brief
Population Dynamics, Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Africa – Policy Brief
Population growth is occurring more rapidly in Africa than in other regions of the world, increasing vulnerability to climate change impacts and undermining sustainable development efforts on the continent. Indeed, most sub-Saharan development policies note that the region’s rapid population … Continue reading
Policy Brief
Population, Climate Change, and Sustainable Development in Malawi
Malawi is one of 15 population and climate change hotspots characterized by a high population growth rate, a high projected decline in agricultural production, and low resilience to climate change. In addition, Malawi faces severe water scarcity. The combined effects … Continue reading
Downloads
Report
Population Dynamics, Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Africa
A region’s population dynamics, including the size, distribution and composition of its population, influence its prospects for sustainable development. Virtually all development policies in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) cite the region’s rapid population growth, urbanization, and age structure as major challenges. … Continue reading
Downloads
Policy Brief
Why Population Matters to Poverty Reduction
Around 1.4 billion people—one-quarter of the population of the developing world—lived on less than $1.25 a day in 2005.1 The World Bank projects that the number of poor people will increase in the coming years due to slowing economic growth, … Continue reading
Policy Brief
Why Population Matters to Migration and Urbanization
People are moving from place to place more than ever before. Rates of international migration are increasing, and more than half of the world’s population now lives in cities. Many personal, economic, and environmental factors drive migration, and the pressures … Continue reading
Policy Brief
Why Population Matters to Forests
Deforestation threatens the well-being and livelihoods of millions of people who heavily depend on forest resources. It is particularly devastating for women and children in poor rural communities. Yet deforestation is occurring at alarmingly high rates, especially in areas of … Continue reading
Downloads
Policy Brief
Why Population Matters to Food Security
Almost one in seven people around the world are chronically hungry, lacking enough food to be healthy and lead active lives. This is despite the fact that enough food exists for all of the world’s people. Agricultural policies, the prices … Continue reading
Downloads
Policy Brief
Why Population Matters to Education
Population’s effects on education and the labor force will influence the opportunities available for the current generation of young people, the largest in history. The demographic transition—the combination of falling mortality rates followed by falling fertility rates—provides countries with a … Continue reading
Downloads
Policy Brief
Why Population Matters to Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS
Links between Population Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS Fertility, migration and urbanization affect the spread of diseases including tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS. Increased population densities and unhealthy living conditions in urban slums can ease the transmission of infections. Migration may also … Continue reading