Country trends
World population highlights: key findings from PRB’s 2008 world population data sheet
How does population growth affect health?
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Publisher:
Population Reference Bureau , 2008
During the 20th Century, nearly 90 percent of population growth took place in countries classified as less developed countries (LDCs). This remarkable development resulted from an unprecedented decline in death rates in LDCs brought about by the spread of public health measures, health care, and disease prevention. This Population Bulletin produced by the Population Reference Bureau provides data on the key issues affecting population growth. Regional comparisons are made between Africa and the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean and Asia, a continent which is projected to add the largest amount of growth by mid-century, with an increase of 1.4 billion over its 2008 population of 4 billion.
North America, Oceania and Europe are also discussed and the contrast between western European countries such as Italy and developing countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo are highlighted to illustrate the demographic divide. On one side of this divide are mostly poor countries with relatively high birth rates and low life expectancies. On the other side are mostly wealthy countries with birth rates so low that population decline and rapid aging are likely. The bulletin then continues to consider the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the effect it has had on population growth. Nutrition, migration and the environment are additionally examined and the effect of an increasingly urbanised society on population and health is highlighted as being detrimental.
