Highest population growth among rural poor
Children in village in Chad. (Photo: luvmonkey)
Human population of the 21st century is growing most within developing nations, in the poorer rural areas.
That’s according to Carl Haub, a demographer with the Population Reference Bureau in Washington, D.C. The world’s population is now estimated to be 6.6 billion, with about 80 million people added each year, although of course no one knows this number precisely.
Carl Haub: Virtually all population growth is in the developing countries, as defined by the U.N. – which is essentially Africa, Asia and Latin America. There are populations declining in countries of Europe.
Haub and other demographers expect birth rates to slowly drop in most of these poorer nations.
Carl Haub: I think the need for larger families in many developing countries in the rural areas is diminishing. And partly because it’s getting more and more difficult to divide agricultural land up among one’s sons and offspring. There’s less and less land available.
A drop in birth rates, Haub said, could lead to a rise in standards of living. But, he added, in some of the poorest countries, for example, in sub-Saharan Africa – there’s now a question. Although birth rates were starting to drop – that trend is now not as pronounced.
Haub said that, among demographers, there’s concern about this.
Our thanks to:
Carl Haub
Senior Demographer
Population Reference Bureau
Washington, D.C.
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Human population of the 21st century is growing most within developing nations, in the poorer rural areas.
This is of course true and important to address. But let’s not forget about one significant exception: The USA has a steadily growing population and the highest rates of per capita consumption and pollution (notably CO2) in the world (so growth in the US creates enormous pressure on the planets resources with consequences for the poor everywhere). I think we need to address this exception among developed nations while also looking to mitigate the problems in the developing nations — they go hand in hand.
We are just now starting to address some VERY serious global environmental issues (and probably too late). Just as important as CO2 and global warming, reduction of natural resources, increase of toxins, air polution, and water polution is INCREASE IN POPULATION. This is a situation prevelant EVERYWHERE. Why it hasn’t been addressed is beyond me…you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see and know thatthe more population, the more pollution and land lost…where will we be able to grow food for all those people when we have to take it up for housing? I hear all this hype all the time about people who can’t have babies opting for invetro (sp?) fertilization, surrogate mothers, and drugs fr fertilization…WHY? Many times it is for selfish reasons (parents not thinking about the way the world is steadily going to hell in a hand-basket and what it will be like for their children when they are dead and gone, as well as their children’s children. I believe many people have exhalted ideas about spawning their own children using their very fantastic gene pool when there are many unwanted and adoptable babies and/or children that need a good home. If we don’t start paying attention to population and the environment…what good is any of the rest of it? These issues should take precedent over any others or else what good is any of the rest of it?
The problem doesn’t lie with United States alone. Everyone keeps blaming the US for all the world’s problems. Each country is responsible for their own fate. The fact is if the US stopped comsuming then the developing countries wouldnt have anyone buying their goods or services. As a matter of fact the developing countries are pressuring the US to open up the market to even more of their goods and services. The developing countries are “developing” because of the simple fact that they do not wish to utilise the vast amount of knowlegde that’s been created over this century to better their own governments and improve the standard of living of their own people. Instead they expect a handout and pass the blame to developed nations that did bother to make painful changes and reaped the benefits therein. Now with all the various Politically Correct organizations the developing nations do not have any pressure to change their ways because all the responsibility has been shifted to the developed nations. If it were upto me I would stop supporting the developing nations and giving aid because this would force them to make changes fast and act responsibly to the billions of their citizens. In case your wondering, Im from a developing nation which I do not wish to name and am sick and tired of the corrution and apathy that exists in the government. I have watched decades pass without any improvement in the basic infrastrcuture and standards of living of the people. Let each country admit they are responsible for their own fate. This would be the first step to improvement than simple blameshifting!
Dear JPanicker,
You are certainly correct in noticing that everyone is playing to BLAME GAME to some extent.
On the other hand, if people do not wake up to what Trinifar and Lou Hanson are reporting, forbidding global challenges could present themselves to my not-so-great elder generation’s children.
From my humble perspective, humanity could soon to come face to face with formidable global challenges, ones that are themselves derived from the leviathan-like scale and skyrocketing growth rate of absolute global human population numbers. That is to say, humanity’s greatest challenge (the proverbial “mother” of all potential global confrontations) is itself.
Sincerely,
Steve
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population, established 2001
I think this is so true on why the population is growing and how trend is becoming more popular.
I think people should care about this and should help the people in need.