Chapter 6

Population Growth and Economic Development: Causes, Consequences, and Controversies

In this chapter, it tackles and discusses trends in aspect of education, health, income, and
issues. Evidences are provided in tackling all the issues aforementioned.

The human capital approach, is a useful tool in analyzing investments in health and
education. This tool places a monetary value on loss of health as the lost value of economic
productivity due to ill health, disability, or premature mortality. It uses the present value of
expected future earnings that is commonly adapted for nonmarket productivity to estimate the
probable loss to the community once an individual dies or become permanently disabled.
Various policy options relating to child labor are discussed. The pervasive issue of child
labor is next to deal with. It is being said that government interference may be essential to depart
from a mediocre equilibrium.

It is being said that public resources are being misallocated in providing for schooling for
the people. A suggestion is also being promoted that it might be better for the government to
invest in higher quality education, rather than higher quantity. The Lorenz curves for education
shows that there are significant differences between developing countries in regards in the
distribution of education. Moreover, it seems to be that there is an inverse relationship between a
country's average years of schooling and the degree of inequality in terms of the distribution of
education.

The relationships between development and health systems are being considered
diligently. Measurement issues are deliberated, and then followed by an introduction of evidence
with respect to the burden issues. Definite health issues, especially malaria and the HIV-AIDS
epidemic, are considered in precise detail before the potential results of poor health on
productivity are considered. A differentiation of health systems and the implications for policy
makers complete the discussions. In addition, Policy options are being discussed to make
educational and health systems more relevant in terms of development.

In conclusion, there are various factors that affect the economic development of many
countries. Population growth could make in impact in doing so. But, the growth in population
also has its own factors. The causes of it, the proposed measures in how to handle it, the potential
consequences and issues regarding on how to balance it altogether.

These are labeled as determinants of growth and development and serves as a purpose of
the development process. The chapter also argues that expenditures in these two aspects are
interrelated that they must be considered together.