M4: Population Growth Economic everyone can have access to

Development: Causes, Consequences, adequate health care and a basic

and Controversies education?
5. Is there a relationship between
Major issues relating to this basic poverty and family size?
question are the following: 6. Is the inexorable pursuit of
1. Will developing countries be increasing affluence among the
capable of improving the levels of rich more detrimental to the
living for their people with the global environment and to rising
current and anticipated levels of living standards among the poor
population growth? To what than the absolute increase in
extent does rapid population their numbers?
increase make it more difficult to
provide essential social services, Population is a dynamic field. There
including housing, transport, have been significant changes in birth
sanitation, and security? rates and the population trajectories of
2. How will the developing countries countries and continents in recent years.
be able to cope with the vast Global population is still growing by
increases in their labor forces more than 80 million a year, however,
over the coming decades? Will and is most likely to continue growing
employment opportunities be for the rest of this century unless we
plentiful, or will unemployment take action.
levels soar?
3. What are the implications of Malthusian Theory
higher population growth rates
among the world’s poor for their
chances of overcoming the
human misery of absolute
poverty? Will world food supply
and its distribution be sufficient
not only to meet the anticipated
population increase in the coming
decades but also to improve
nutritional levels to the point
where all humans can have an Structure of the World’s Population
adequate diet? The world’ population is very unevenly
4. Will developing countries be able distributed by:
to extend the coverage and 1. Geographic region
improve the quality of their health 2. Fertility
and educational systems so that 3. Mortality
4. Age structures
 5. Net Migration ● The birth rate for Philippines in
2018 was 20.576 births per 1000
1. Geographic Region people, a 3.31% decline from
- More than three-quarters of the 2017.
world’s people live in developing * Philippine Population Program is
countries Republic Act 6365, otherwise known as
- Fewer than one person in four the “Population Act of 1971.”
lives in an economically
developed nation. Rate of population increase
- The growth rate of a population,
2. Fertility calculated as the natural increase
- defined as the quality of being after adjusting for immigration
fertile or productiveness. and emigration.
- The fertility rate at a given age Natural increase
is the number of children born - The difference between the birth
alive to women of that age during rate and the death rate of a given
the year as a proportion of the population.
average annual population of Net international migration
women of the same age. - The excess of persons migrating
- Fertility rates decrease rapidly into a country over those who
when women are empowered, emigrate from that country.
when children (especially girls) Crude birth rate
stay in education for longer, when - The number of children born alive
countries become more affluent, each year per 1,000 population
and, crucially, when people can (often shortened to birth)
use modern contraception. Death rate
- The number of deaths each year
Bringing Down Fertility per 1,000 population.
● The current birth rate for Total fertility rate (TFR)
Philippines in 2021 is 19.978 - The number of children that
births per 1000 people, a 0.99% would be born to a woman if she
decline from 2020. were to live to the end of her
● The birth rate for Philippines in childbearing years and bear
2020 was 20.177 births per 1000 children in accordance with the
people, a 0.98% decline from prevailing age-specific fertility
2019. rates.
● The birth rate for Philippines in Life expectancy at birth
2019 was 20.377 births per 1000 - The number of years a newborn
people, a 0.97% decline from child would live if subject to the
2018. mortality risks prevailing for the
 population at the time of the Population Pyramid
child’s birth. - A Population pyramid (also called
Under-5 mortality rate "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a
- Deaths among children between graphical representation of the
birth and 5 years of age per age and sex of a population.
1,000 live births. Types:
● Expansive - pyramid with a wide
3. Mortality base (larger percentage of
- Death Rate (or crude death people in younger age groups,
rate) - The number of deaths per indicating high birth rates and
1,000 population in a given year. high fertility rates) and narrow top
- In the Philippine context, death (high death rate and lower life
rate is 5.8/thousands in 2019. expectancies). It suggests a
growing population.
4. Age structures - Example: Nigera
- Population - relatively youthful in Population Pyramid
the developing world. ● Stationary - with a somewhat
- Youth dependency ratio equal proportion of the
- The proportion of young people population in each age group.
under age 15 to the working The population is stable, neither
population aged 16 to 64 in a increasing nor decreasing.
country ● Constrictive - pyramid with a
Youth Dependency Ratio narrow base (lower percentage
- population ages 0-15 divided by of younger people, indicating
the population ages 16-64. declining birth rates with each
- Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] succeeding age group getting
÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100 smaller than the previous one).
Elderly dependency ratio - Example: United States
- population ages 65-plus divided
by the population ages 16-64. Hidden momentum of population
- Formula: ([Population ages growth
65-plus] ÷ [Population ages - The phenomenon whereby
16-64]) × 100 population continues to increase
Total dependency ratio even after a fall in birth rates
- sum of the youth and old-age because the large existing
ratios. youthful population expands the
- Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] population’s base of potential
+ [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ parents.
[Population ages 16-64]) × 100
 - In the case of population growth, through the same three stages of
this momentum can persist for modern population history.
decades after birth rates drop.
Reasons: Stage 1: Before modernization stable or
1. Birth rates cannot be altered very slow-growing populations as a
overnight result of a combination of high birth
2. Age structure of many developing rates and almost equally high death
countries’ population rates.
Stage 2: Began when modernization
5. Net Migration associated with better public health
- Net international migration for methods, healthier diets, higher
a given country refers to the incomes, and other improvements, led
difference between the number of to a marked reduction in mortality that
immigrants and the number of gradually raised life expectancy from
emigrants. If more people under 40 years to over 60 years.
immigrate to a country than Stage 3: when the forces and influences
emigrate from it, the country of modernization and development
gains population from positive net caused the beginning of a decline in
migration. fertility; eventually, falling birth rates
* The USA has the highest total number converged with lower death rates,
of immigrants, being home to 19 percent leaving little or no population growth.
of the world’s immigrants. This is
followed by Germany and Russia, with a The Causes of High Fertility in
combined share of 9.7 percent of the Developing Countries: The
world’s immigrants. Malthusian and Households Models
The Malthusian Population Trap
Demographic transition - The threshold population level
- the phasing-out process of anticipated by Thomas Malthus
population growth rates from a (1766–1834) at which population
virtually stagnant growth stage increase was bound to stop
characterized by high birth rates because life sustaining
and death rates through a resources, which increase at an
rapid-growth stage with high birth arithmetic rate, would be
rates and low death rates to a insufficient to support human
stable, low growth stage in which population, which increases at a
both birth and death rates are geometric rate.
low. - “Father of the modern birth
- It attempts to explain why all control movement”.
contemporary developed nations
have more or less passed Criticisms of the Malthusian Model
 1. It ignores the enormous impact of
technological progress offsetting - The higher the prices of
the growth-inhibiting forces of all other goods relative to children, the
rapid population increases. greater the quantity of children
2. That national rates of population demanded.
increase are directly (positively)
- the greater the strength
related to the level of national per
of tastes for goods relative to children,
capita income. It assume that
the fewer children demanded.
relatively low levels of per capita
income, we should expect to find
The Demand for Children in
population growth rates
Developing Countries
increasing with increasing per
- Children in poor societies are
capita income.
seen partly as economic
investment goods in that there is
Economic Household Theory of
an expected return in the form of
Fertility
both child labor and the provision
of financial support for parents in
old age
- In many developing countries,
there is a strong intrinsic
psychological and cultural
determinant of family size, so the
first two or three children should
be viewed as “consumer” goods
* Microeconomic theory of fertility for which demand may not be
- The theory that family formation very responsive to relative price
has costs and benefits that changes.
determine the size of families - In deciding whether or not to
formed have additional children, parents
are assumed to weigh private
Economic Household Theory of economic benefits against private
Fertility costs, where the principal
benefits are the expected income
- the higher the household
from child labor, usually on the
income, the greater the demand for
farm, and eventually financial
children.
support for elderly parents.
- The higher the net price - Households do not act in unitary,
of children, the lower the quantity which means they have different
demanded objective function. Husbands
 tend to have more children than 2. An increase in female
the wife nonagricultural wage employment
opportunities, which raises the
Empirical evidence price or cost of their traditional
Research showed in developing child-rearing activities
countries have provided support for the 3. A rise in family income levels
economic theory of fertility. through the increased direct
- High female employment, employment and earnings of a
Greater female school husband and wife or through the
attendance (Primary and redistribution of income and
Secondary) revealed a lower assets from rich to poor
levels of fertility. 4. A reduction in infant mortality
- As women become better through expanded public health
educated, they tend to earn a programs and better nutritional
larger share of household income status for both mother and child
and to produce fewer children. and better medical care
- There is a strong association 5. The development of old-age and
between declines in child other social security systems
mortality and the subsequent outside the extended family
decline in fertility. network to lessen the economic
* This fact alone underlines the dependence of parents,
importance of educating women and especially women, on their
improving public health and child offspring
nutrition programs in reducing 6. Expanded schooling
fertility levels opportunities so that parents can
better substitute child “quality” for
Implications for Development and large numbers of children
Fertility
The effect of social and economic The Consequences of High Fertility:
progress in lowering fertility in Some Conflicting Perspectives
developing countries will be the greatest ARGUMENTS:
when the majority of the population and - The problem is not population
especially the very poor share in its growth but other issues.
benefits. Specifically, birth rates among - Population growth is a false issue
the very poor are likely to fall where the deliberately created by dominant
following socioeconomic changes come rich country agencies and
to pass: institutions to keep developing
1. An increase in the education of countries in their dependent
women and a consequent condition.
change in their role and status
 - For many developing countries - Governments should therefore
and regions, population growth is strive not to moderate the rate of
in fact desirable. population growth but rather to
- Other Issues bring about a more natural spatial
1. Underdevelopment distribution of the population in
2. World Resource terms of available land and other
Depletion and productive resources.
Environmental
Destruction 4. Subordination of Women
3. Population Distribution - In this argument, population
4. Subordination of Women growth is a natural outcome of
women’s lack of economic
1. Underdevelopment opportunity.
- If correct strategies are pursued - If women’s health, education, and
and lead to higher levels of living, economic well-being are
greater self-esteem, and improved along with their role
expanded freedom, population and status in both the family and
will take care of itself. the community, this
- For as long as people in empowerment of women will
developing countries remain inevitably lead to smaller families
impoverished, uneducated and and lower population growth.
unhealthy and the social safety
net remains weak parents will The Extremist Argument
continue to have a big family 1. Population and Global Crisis
- The root of economic and social
2. World Resource Depletion and evils is excessive population
Environmental Destruction growth. Unrestrained population
- In this argument developed increase is seen as the major
nations should curtail their crisis facing humankind today.
excessively high consumption - It is the principal cause of
standards instead of asking less poverty, low levels of living,
developed nations to restrict their malnutrition, ill-health,
population growth environmental degradation, and a
wide array of other social
3. Population Distribution problems
- In this argument, it is not the - Should coerced compulsory
number of people per se that is sterilization to control family size.
causing population problems but
their distribution in space.
The Theoretical Argument: G. International Migration
Population-Poverty Cycles and the
Need for Family-Planning Programs Consensus on different Arguments
2. Population-Poverty Cycles and the Three propositions constitute the
Need for Family-Planning Programs essential components of this
- The population-poverty cycle intermediate or consensus opinion.
theory is the main argument 1. Population growth is not the
advanced by economists who primary cause of low levels of
hold that too rapid population living, extreme inequalities, or the
growth yields negative economic limited freedom of choice that
consequences and thus should characterize much of the
be a real concern for developing developing world. The
countries. fundamental causes of these
- Population growth is believed to problems must be sought, rather,
retard the prospects for a better in the plight of poor families,
life for the already born by especially women, and the failure
reducing savings rates at the of other aspects of domestic and
household and national levels. international development policy
2. The problem of population is
Other Empirical Arguments: Seven not simply one of numbers but
Negative Consequences of involves the quality of life and
Population Growth material well-being. Thus
3. Seven Negative Consequences of developing country population
Population Growth size must be viewed in
- According to the latest empirical conjunction with
research, the potential negative developed-country affluence in
consequences of population relation to the quantity,
growth for economic distribution, and utilization of
development can be divided into world resources, not just in
seven categories: its impact on relation to developing countries’
economic growth, poverty and indigenous resources.
inequality, education, health, 3. Rapid population growth does
food, the environment, and serve to intensify problems of
international migration. underdevelopment and make
A. Economic Growth prospects for development that
B. Poverty and Inequality much more remote. As noted, the
C. Education momentum of growth means that,
D. Health barring catastrophe, the
E. Food population of developing
F. Environment countries will increase
 dramatically over the coming motivations, family-planning
decades, no matter what fertility programs providing both the
control measures are adopted education and the technological
now. It follows that high means to regulate fertility for
population growth rates, though people who wish to regulate it
not the principal cause of should be established.
underdevelopment, are 3. Developed countries should help
nevertheless important developing countries achieve
contributing factors in specific their lowered fertility and mortality
countries and regions of the objectives not only by providing
world contraceptives and funding
family-planning clinics but, even
Policy goals and Objectives: Realistic more important, by curtailing their
Approach own excessive depletion of
1. In countries or regions where nonrenewable world resources
population size, distribution, and through programs designed to cut
growth are viewed as an existing back on the unnecessary
or potential problem, the primary consumption of products that
objective of any strategy to limit intensively use such resources;
further growth must deal not only by making genuine commitments
with the population variable per to eradicating poverty, illiteracy,
se but also with the underlying disease, and malnutrition in
social and economic conditions of developing countries as well as
underdevelopment. Problems their own; and by recognizing in
such as absolute poverty, gross both their rhetoric and their
inequality, widespread international economic and social
unemployment (especially among dealings that development is the
women), limited female access to real issue, not simply population
education, malnutrition, and poor control.
health facilities must be given
high priority. Their amelioration is WHAT CAN THEY DO?
both a necessary concomitant of DEVELOPING DEVELOPED
development and a fundamental COUNTRIES COUNTRIES
motivational basis for the
expanded freedom of the 1. Persuade 1. Minimized CO2
individual to choose an optimal— people to have (fossil fuel energy
smaller families consumption)
and in many cases,
thru media and
smaller—family size. educational
2. To bring about smaller families process.
through development-induced
2. Enhance family 2. Simplify
planning lifestyles and
programs to consumption
provide health habits
and contraceptive
services.

3. Manipulate 3. Minimize legal

economic barriers on
incentives and migration
disincentives

4. Coerce people
into having small
families through
power of the state
legislation and
penalties

5. Raise the
social and
economic status
of women