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Population growth in the 21 st century: Cause for crisis or celebration? 1
Author(s) -
Cleland John
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3156.1996.d01-8.x
Subject(s) - underemployment , population growth , fertility , population , development economics , political science , politics , economic growth , geography , economics , demography , unemployment , sociology , law
Summary Between now and the end of the next century, the population of the planet is projected to grow from 5.7 billion to somewhere between 9 and 16 billion. In the next 25 years, continued rapid growth is inescapable because of the youthful age structures of many countries. Beyond that point much depends on fertility trends in the coming decades. Continued population growth does not make inevitable any global catastrophe but it will exacerbate greatly problems of underemployment. The prognosis for further fertility declines is good, because the communications revolution is hastening the spread of new ideas and political attitudes are becoming favourable.