Tag: Population

Demographic Opportunities and Challenges in Western Africa

1/17/13

Population and development in Western Africa are closely linked. At the heart of these issues lies the slow demographic transition of the region’s countries, which still experience some of the highest fertility rates in the world.

Last month the Center for Global Development hosted a meeting on the Role of Population and Development Research in Western Africa at our offices in Washington DC. Over the daylong workshop, 17 participants with a diverse range of expertise and perspectives discussed the many pressing population and development issues in that part of the world. Participants came from organizations including USAID, the World Bank, IPAS, UC Berkeley, UNPFA, PRB, the Hewlett Foundation, and Cornell University. In their discussions, the group agreed that there remains a lack of clear policy recommendations or consensus on how to best address the population and development nexus, despite a renewed focus on the role of family planning, reproductive health, and demography as essential drivers of economic development. In addition, a few common themes emerged and participants identified several research questions that will require closer attention over the coming years.

West Africa: The Demographic Dividend Is Not a Given

5/15/12

John May

Nowadays, the international development community is abuzz about the strong economic performance of sub-Saharan Africa. This year alone, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates growth in the region at 5.4 percent, and only ‘developing Asia’ should do better. Often this kind of economic boon is accompanied by falling fertility rates that usher in a ‘demographic dividend’ – or a window of opportunity when dependency ratios decline and the labor force increases relatively. But rapid population growth in the West African sub-region in particular may slow down economic development and

Worried About Teen Births? Read Our Paper

5/10/12

Amanda Glassman

Despite declines in average fertility rates worldwide, an estimated 14 to 16 million children are born to women aged 15 to 19 each year. Over half of women in sub-Saharan Africa give birth before age 20. As I’ve blogged previously, many of these births take place in the context of early marriage. Approximately half of girls in sub-Saharan Africa are married by age 18, while 73% of girls are married by that same age in Bangladesh.

People and the Planet

5/7/12

John May

Population issues have been conspicuously absent from the discussions on the environmental sustainability of our globalized economy in the run-up to the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development, which will take place in Brazil on June 20-22 under the auspices of the United Nations.

Sound Bites from PopPov

1/27/12

Kate McQueston

Total fertility has been decreasing in many African countries—from 5.9 in 2001 to 4.6 in 2009 in Ethiopia and 5.5 in 2001 to 4.9 in 2009 in Senegal, though still high in comparison to many parts of the world (for more data on total fertility trends see here). This decline has come with both health benefits and development opportunities, but there is still a great need for improved population policies. Luckily, the field of research covering the economic and demographic responses to reproductive health interve

The World at 10 Billion

5/23/11

Rachel Nugent

In a recent op-ed published in the New York Times International Edition, I discuss the United Nations' new projections on population. The UN Population Division recently raised its estimate for global population to reach 10.1 billion by 2100—a steep increase from the previous projections which showed the world's population leveling off at 9 billion by 2050. Clearly, the UN has been too optimistic in its assumptions about how long it would take for many countries to reach replacement fertility.

Can New Leader Get Respect for UN Population Agency?

11/22/10

Rachel Nugent

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last week named Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin of Nigeria to be the next executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), replacing Dr. Thoraya Obaid who held the position for 10 years. Dr. Osotimehin is a professor of medicine at Ibadan University. He served a brief time as Minister of Health in Nigeria and supported several controversial global health efforts, including polio elimination and increasing access to treatment for HIV/AIDS.

Progress toward the Goal in Rwanda

7/14/10

Katie Stein

In addition to marking Spain’s first World Cup victory, this past Sunday was World Population Day. Even though it did not receive the same attention as Andrés Iniesta’s goal in overtime, population is a critical component of global development.