6.

1 The basic issue : population growth and the quality of life

How does contemporary population situation in many developing countries contribute to or

detract from their chances of realizing the goals of development, not only for the current
generation but also for future generations?

According to world health organization

Quality of life is defined as “the individuals perception of their position in life in the context of
the culture and value system in which they live and in relation to their goals .” the extent to
which their life comfortable or satisfying.
Population Growth can be define as the increase in the number of people in given area. There
are three major factors that affect population growth : fertility rate , life expectancy, and net
immigration levels.
Fertility rate is the number of births that 1,000 women are expected to go through in their
lifetime. A fertility rate of 3500 would be equivalent to 3.5 kids per woman. It is often
compared to the number of deaths in a given year to get the replacement rate ( rate at which
the number of births offsets the number of deaths.
Birth rate refers to the number of births that occur per thousands people, per year
Death rate refers to the number of death that occur per thousand people, per year
Life expectancy is the average lifespan that a person will reach. The greater the life expectancy,
the larger the population will grow.
The net immigration rate is the total change in population from people moving in and out of
the country. A positive net immigration rate will contribute to higher population growth ,
whereas a negative net immigration rate will contribute to lower population growth.

Is rapid population growth a serious problem as many people believe, or is it a manifestation of

more fundamental problems of underdevelopment and the unequal utilization of global
resources between rich and poor nations, as others argue?

6.2 Population of growth : Past, Present and Future

Population growth today is Primarily the result of a rapid transition from a long historicsl era
characterized by high birth and death rates to one in which death rates have fallen sharply but
birth rates, especially in the least developed countries , have fallen more slowly from their
historically high levels.

STRUCTURE OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION

The worlds population is very unevenly distributed by geographic region, by fertility and
mortality levels, and by age structures.
Fertility and Mortality trends Population increases in developing countries therefore depend
almost entirely on the difference between their crude birth rates ( or simply birth rates) and
death rates.
Total fertility rate (TFR) – the average number of children a woman would have , assuming that
current age- specif birth remains constant throughout her childbearing years.
Age Structure and Dependency Burdens – the more rapid the population growth rate is, the
greater the proportion of dependent children in the total population and the more difficult it is
for people who are working to support those who are not.

THE HIDDEN MOMENTUM OF POPULATION GROWTH

Population growth has a built in tendency to continue, a powerful momentum that , like a
speeding automobile when the brakes are applied, tends to keep going for sometime before
coming to stop.
REASON : AGE STRUCTURE OF MANY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES POPULATIONS