News Selection – World Population
Recent news chosen to illustrate and update Tread Softly briefings on World Population.
Zero population growth vs population control
4/7/2019: A demographic dividend for a country is not predicated on future population growth, but on fertility decline that follows rapid growth and on the right investments being made in health, education, and employment. Source: Inter Press Service
World population to reach 9.7 billion by 2050
18/6/2019: The UN's "World Population Prospects" report observes that the world's 47 least-developed countries are among the fastest growing, and this burgeoning population will present challenges to sustainable development. Source: DW
Minority groups excluded from global progress on reproductive health
10/4/2019: Despite global gains in securing sexual and reproductive rights over the past 50 years, many population groups are still left behind, according to a report released by the UN Population Fund. Source: Devex
2, 4, 8 and ? billion people
1/4/2019: Two, four and eight billion people is the extraordinary doubling and redoubling of the world’s population that occurred in slightly less than a century. Is that record-breaking demographic growth likely to be repeated in the 21st century? Source: Inter Press Service
Trump expands global gag rule
26/3/2019: The extension of the global gag rule would not only cut funding to foreign non-governmental organisations directly involved in abortions or abortion rights advocacy, but also those who support other groups which provide or discuss abortion. Source: The Guardian
Hungary gives tax breaks to boost population
10/2/2019: Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced tax benefits and subsidies to encourage families to have more children. He said the policy was meant to create more Hungarians instead of promoting EU-backed immigration.
Source: DW
In Nigeria, Trump administration policies bite hard
5/2/2019: UNFPA Nigeria lost over 60% of its family planning funds within one year, in a country that is facing a potentially crippling population boom.
Source: Devex
Experts urge Egypt to rethink two-child population strategy
3/1/2019: Egypt's population now exceeds 100 million and a government programme called “two is enough” has been launched to encourage people to limit family size. But Egypt has a long way to go in persuading its people. Source: The Guardian
Falling total fertility rate should be welcomed
26/:12/2018: Declining fertility rates around the world should be cause for celebration, not alarm, a leading expert has said, warning that the focus on boosting populations was outdated and potentially bad for women. Source: The Guardian
Progress on family planning way off target, FP2020 update reveals
13/11/2018: The latest annual report from the Family Planning 2020 Partnership concludes that it will be impossible to achieve the target of reaching 120 million more women and girls in the world’s 69 poorest countries with modern contraceptives by 2020. Source: Devex