Zambia's growing population
BBC News - UK
The rising workload of UTH's maternity unit is a tangible sign of Zambia's growing population. It is 13 million now and projected to triple by 2050 according to the UN Population Division. Even its most cautious projection has the population at 100 million by 2100, with its medium (or best estimate) being 140 million. …(24 October 2011)
25 October 2011
U.N. analysts deploy many tools to project world’s population
Washington Post - USA
Conjuring up uncounted people by cross-referencing census data with surveys and other statistics is a common trick of the demographics trade, one of several methods used recently by researchers at the U.N. Population Division to arrive at their landmark population projection: 7 billion people inhabiting Earth on Oct. 31. (...) The United Nations is regarded in most quarters as the gold standard of population projection, but not everyone agrees with its estimates. ,…(24 October 2011)
Washington Post - USA
Conjuring up uncounted people by cross-referencing census data with surveys and other statistics is a common trick of the demographics trade, one of several methods used recently by researchers at the U.N. Population Division to arrive at their landmark population projection: 7 billion people inhabiting Earth on Oct. 31. (...) The United Nations is regarded in most quarters as the gold standard of population projection, but not everyone agrees with its estimates. ,…(24 October 2011)
24 October 2011
Talking Their Way Out of a Population Crisis
New York Times - USA
The world’s seven billionth person is about to be born, according to the United Nations Population Division. Before this century ends, there could well be 10 billion of us, a billion more than previously expected. Nearly all of these extra billion people will be born in Africa, where women in some countries bear seven children each on average, and only 1 in 10 uses contraception. With mortality rates from disease falling, the population of some countries could increase eightfold in the next century.,…(22 October 2011)
New York Times - USA
The world’s seven billionth person is about to be born, according to the United Nations Population Division. Before this century ends, there could well be 10 billion of us, a billion more than previously expected. Nearly all of these extra billion people will be born in Africa, where women in some countries bear seven children each on average, and only 1 in 10 uses contraception. With mortality rates from disease falling, the population of some countries could increase eightfold in the next century.,…(22 October 2011)
30% of GCC youth face unemployment
Dubai Chronicle - UAE
The UN Population Division’s 2010 report on “World Population Prospects” reports that GCC youth accounts for a substantial 30 percent of the working-age population, but unemployment is the highest among global regions. On average, only a third of the GCC youth are in the labor force, compared to half of youth globally. Part of the problem is the proliferation of foreigners.,…(23 October 20118)
Dubai Chronicle - UAE
The UN Population Division’s 2010 report on “World Population Prospects” reports that GCC youth accounts for a substantial 30 percent of the working-age population, but unemployment is the highest among global regions. On average, only a third of the GCC youth are in the labor force, compared to half of youth globally. Part of the problem is the proliferation of foreigners.,…(23 October 20118)
20 October 2011
Seven billion and counting
Nature - UK
"It's a relatively simple accounting framework: only birth, death and migration can change a population," says Thomas Buettner, assistant director of the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York City, where the calculation was carried out on a standard desktop PC. "But there are a lot of conflicting data as well."…(19 October 2011)
Nature - UK
"It's a relatively simple accounting framework: only birth, death and migration can change a population," says Thomas Buettner, assistant director of the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York City, where the calculation was carried out on a standard desktop PC. "But there are a lot of conflicting data as well."…(19 October 2011)
17 October 2011
Too Many People?
The New Yorker - US
The United Nations has been analyzing and forecasting the world’s demographics for decades. 1966, Henry S. F. Cooper visited the Secretariat’s Population Division to speak with two officers, Milos Macura and Inderjit Singh. At that point, the U.N. estimated the global population at three billion three hundred and thirty million. Cooper asked them to look ahead, and Macura correctly forecast that the largest population growths would happen in China and India, and said, “The solution isn’t merely to cut the birthrate but to increase economic growth as well." ,…(17 October 2011)
The New Yorker - US
The United Nations has been analyzing and forecasting the world’s demographics for decades. 1966, Henry S. F. Cooper visited the Secretariat’s Population Division to speak with two officers, Milos Macura and Inderjit Singh. At that point, the U.N. estimated the global population at three billion three hundred and thirty million. Cooper asked them to look ahead, and Macura correctly forecast that the largest population growths would happen in China and India, and said, “The solution isn’t merely to cut the birthrate but to increase economic growth as well." ,…(17 October 2011)
14 October 2011
U.S. teen birth rate down slightly
UPI - US
The U.S. birth rate for females ages 15-19 was 39.1 births per 1,000 females in 2009 -- a historic low -- but the rate was higher than in a number of other developed countries. The United Nations Population Division said the teen birth rate in Canada was 14 births per 1,000 female teens; in Germany, it was 10 births per 1,000 female teens; and in Italy, 7 per 1,000 female teens, the report said. ,…(13 October 2011)
UPI - US
The U.S. birth rate for females ages 15-19 was 39.1 births per 1,000 females in 2009 -- a historic low -- but the rate was higher than in a number of other developed countries. The United Nations Population Division said the teen birth rate in Canada was 14 births per 1,000 female teens; in Germany, it was 10 births per 1,000 female teens; and in Italy, 7 per 1,000 female teens, the report said. ,…(13 October 2011)
When will the 7 billionth human be born?
New Scientist - UK
Wolfgang Lutz of the Vienna Institute of Demography says the UN is "under political pressure to disregard uncertainty and name a date" for 7 billion. But he and colleague Sergei Scherbov estimate that the world probably won't reach 7 billion until early in 2013, though it could be as late as 2020. The director of the UN population division Hania Zlotnik defends her data but agrees that "an interval of a few months or even a year would be a reasonable range of uncertainty".…(14 October 2011)
New Scientist - UK
Wolfgang Lutz of the Vienna Institute of Demography says the UN is "under political pressure to disregard uncertainty and name a date" for 7 billion. But he and colleague Sergei Scherbov estimate that the world probably won't reach 7 billion until early in 2013, though it could be as late as 2020. The director of the UN population division Hania Zlotnik defends her data but agrees that "an interval of a few months or even a year would be a reasonable range of uncertainty".…(14 October 2011)
12 October 2011
In Russia, a Demographic Crisis and Worries for Nation's Future
The Atlantic - USA
To a non-expert like me, the Russian demographic story is fascinating, not just because of its national and geopolitical implications but because it is about both low birth rates and high death rates. Male life expectancy in Russia today is approximately 60 years, or at least 15 years less than in most industrialized nations. It has been oft-remarked that many developed nations now have declining birth rates because of job opportunities for women. But Russia's low birth rates are due to economic problems, and together with high death rates caused by poor health, these factors make Russian's demographic problems striking. Together these have led to a decline in Russian population from 148.6 million in 1993 after the breakup of the Soviet Union, to 146 million at the beginning of the 21st century, to somewhere bewteen 139 and 143 million today. The UN Population Division estimated several years ago that Russian population in the year 2025 -- one year after President Putin would complete two six-year terms -- would continue to decline dramatically, settling in a range from 121 million to 136 million.,…(11 October 2011)
The Atlantic - USA
To a non-expert like me, the Russian demographic story is fascinating, not just because of its national and geopolitical implications but because it is about both low birth rates and high death rates. Male life expectancy in Russia today is approximately 60 years, or at least 15 years less than in most industrialized nations. It has been oft-remarked that many developed nations now have declining birth rates because of job opportunities for women. But Russia's low birth rates are due to economic problems, and together with high death rates caused by poor health, these factors make Russian's demographic problems striking. Together these have led to a decline in Russian population from 148.6 million in 1993 after the breakup of the Soviet Union, to 146 million at the beginning of the 21st century, to somewhere bewteen 139 and 143 million today. The UN Population Division estimated several years ago that Russian population in the year 2025 -- one year after President Putin would complete two six-year terms -- would continue to decline dramatically, settling in a range from 121 million to 136 million.,…(11 October 2011)
07 October 2011
Earth's population to amount to 7 billion in November
Pravda - Russian Federation
As predicted by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, by 2100, the number of inhabitants of Earth could exceed $10 billion. Some experts predicted that this number can be reached by mid-century. However, many experts talk about the inevitable slowing of population growth and the beginning of a reverse process.…(7 October 2011)
Pravda - Russian Federation
As predicted by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, by 2100, the number of inhabitants of Earth could exceed $10 billion. Some experts predicted that this number can be reached by mid-century. However, many experts talk about the inevitable slowing of population growth and the beginning of a reverse process.…(7 October 2011)
06 October 2011
Ag. commissioner seeks re-election
Daily Comet - USA
If re-elected, Strain said he would begin to view his department’s role on more of a global scale. He noted an “alarming statistic” released by the United Nations Population Division. It projects that the global population could reach 9.3 billion by mid-century and 10.1 billion by 2100. “We must feed, clothe, house and provide energy worldwide to meet this growing demand, and this will result in a tremendous economic impact to all of America,” Strain said... (5 October 2011)
Daily Comet - USA
If re-elected, Strain said he would begin to view his department’s role on more of a global scale. He noted an “alarming statistic” released by the United Nations Population Division. It projects that the global population could reach 9.3 billion by mid-century and 10.1 billion by 2100. “We must feed, clothe, house and provide energy worldwide to meet this growing demand, and this will result in a tremendous economic impact to all of America,” Strain said... (5 October 2011)
21 September 2011
PH faces population ageing by the end of the century, UN data shows
Business World Online - Philippines
The country’s population is projected to balloon to nearly 155 million by 2050, but declining fertility rates will likely lead to population ageing by the end of the century, latest estimates by the United Nations (UN) showed. There will be about 154.9 million Filipinos by 2050, up 66% from last year’s estimate of 93.3 million, according to the 2010 revision of the World Population Prospects prepared by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. This is based on a “medium” projection. (...) The UN Population Division’s “low” projection, however, indicates that population could peak to 135.5 million by as early as 2060, declining to 133.2 million by 2070. In this scenario, the fertility rate is just 1.45 children per woman, declining to 1.35 by 2100 when the population drops further to 107.9 million. ,…(21 September 2011)
Business World Online - Philippines
The country’s population is projected to balloon to nearly 155 million by 2050, but declining fertility rates will likely lead to population ageing by the end of the century, latest estimates by the United Nations (UN) showed. There will be about 154.9 million Filipinos by 2050, up 66% from last year’s estimate of 93.3 million, according to the 2010 revision of the World Population Prospects prepared by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. This is based on a “medium” projection. (...) The UN Population Division’s “low” projection, however, indicates that population could peak to 135.5 million by as early as 2060, declining to 133.2 million by 2070. In this scenario, the fertility rate is just 1.45 children per woman, declining to 1.35 by 2100 when the population drops further to 107.9 million. ,…(21 September 2011)
08 September 2011
Within A Generation, China Middle Class Four Times Larger Than America's
Forbes - USA
Within a generation, the middle class in China will be roughly four times the size of the American middle class population, according to the UN Population Division and Goldman Sachs. By 2030, China should have approximately 1.4 billion middle class consumers compared to 365 million in the U.S. and 414 million in Western Europe. India is next, with its citizens moving up the income ladder and reaching a sizeable 1.07 billion in a little under 20 years. (...)(5 September 2011)
Forbes - USA
Within a generation, the middle class in China will be roughly four times the size of the American middle class population, according to the UN Population Division and Goldman Sachs. By 2030, China should have approximately 1.4 billion middle class consumers compared to 365 million in the U.S. and 414 million in Western Europe. India is next, with its citizens moving up the income ladder and reaching a sizeable 1.07 billion in a little under 20 years. (...)(5 September 2011)
07 September 2011
The hinge of fate
The News - Pakistan
Because Pakistan has not conducted a census since 1998, the country’s population size is conjectural. The government of Pakistan estimates the current figure at about 175 million people, while the United Nations believes the number is closer to 185 million. However, while the precise figure may be in doubt, the population’s rapid rise is not. Though no longer increasing at the more than three percent seen in the 1980s, at which rate the population doubles every 25 years. Pakistan’s population is still growing at more than two percent. According to the UN Population Division’s latest mid-range demographic projections released in 2009, the population will rise to 335 million by 2050. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics forecasts population to be 350 million by 2050. ,…(7 September 2011)
The News - Pakistan
Because Pakistan has not conducted a census since 1998, the country’s population size is conjectural. The government of Pakistan estimates the current figure at about 175 million people, while the United Nations believes the number is closer to 185 million. However, while the precise figure may be in doubt, the population’s rapid rise is not. Though no longer increasing at the more than three percent seen in the 1980s, at which rate the population doubles every 25 years. Pakistan’s population is still growing at more than two percent. According to the UN Population Division’s latest mid-range demographic projections released in 2009, the population will rise to 335 million by 2050. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics forecasts population to be 350 million by 2050. ,…(7 September 2011)
17 August 2011
Earth at seven billion
National Post - Canada
“Every indicator of human well-being that you can measure … there’s no question it’s better today, no matter how many people we have,” said Hania Zlotnik, head of the UN’s Population Division. “On the whole, society has been extremely successful, both in reducing population growth from its peak and making life better for most people.”[...]At the same time, more efforts are needed to lower the birth rate in high-fertility regions to avoid worst-case population scenarios, and potentially to slow growth even more than expected, said Ms. Zlotnik. The UN population czar rejects the conventional economic wisdom that fertility starts falling only as affluence in a country rises, saying there are many examples where birth rates have shrunk independent of an economic boom. Bangladesh, for instance, is moving fast toward replacement-level fertility because of robust programs that encourage child and maternal health and family planning. (13 August 2011)
National Post - Canada
“Every indicator of human well-being that you can measure … there’s no question it’s better today, no matter how many people we have,” said Hania Zlotnik, head of the UN’s Population Division. “On the whole, society has been extremely successful, both in reducing population growth from its peak and making life better for most people.”[...]At the same time, more efforts are needed to lower the birth rate in high-fertility regions to avoid worst-case population scenarios, and potentially to slow growth even more than expected, said Ms. Zlotnik. The UN population czar rejects the conventional economic wisdom that fertility starts falling only as affluence in a country rises, saying there are many examples where birth rates have shrunk independent of an economic boom. Bangladesh, for instance, is moving fast toward replacement-level fertility because of robust programs that encourage child and maternal health and family planning. (13 August 2011)
08 August 2011
Learning to live on a crowded planet
Globe and Mail - South Africa
Hania Zlotnik, director of the UN Population Division, says all of this could have been much worse if not for rapid changes to the lives of women. Women are better educated, have more work opportunities and pressures, and get better access to birth control, and that has led to a dramatic drop in fertility over the last two generations. Worldwide, women now have half as many children as they did in the 1960s and just slightly more than is needed to replace and maintain the current population.,…(4 August 2011)
Globe and Mail - South Africa
Hania Zlotnik, director of the UN Population Division, says all of this could have been much worse if not for rapid changes to the lives of women. Women are better educated, have more work opportunities and pressures, and get better access to birth control, and that has led to a dramatic drop in fertility over the last two generations. Worldwide, women now have half as many children as they did in the 1960s and just slightly more than is needed to replace and maintain the current population.,…(4 August 2011)
Sustaining seven billion
The Mark - Canada
This October, the United Nations Population Division expects the world’s population to surpass seven billion – a number that has nearly tripled since 1950. Close to half of the population – three billion people – is under the age of 25, making this the largest youth generation in history. While the growth of the population presents challenges, it also provides an unprecedented opportunity to address some of the world’s most pressing issues.…(5 August 2011)
Census: Share of children in U.S. hits record low
The Mercury - USA
Japan, France, Germany and Canada each have lower shares of children under age 15, ranging between 13 percent in Japan and 17 percent in Canada, while nations in Africa and the Middle East have some of the largest shares, including 50 percent in Niger and 46 percent in Afghanistan, according to figures from the United Nations Population Division. In the U.S., the share of children under 15 is 20 percent.…(7 August 2011)
The Mercury - USA
Japan, France, Germany and Canada each have lower shares of children under age 15, ranging between 13 percent in Japan and 17 percent in Canada, while nations in Africa and the Middle East have some of the largest shares, including 50 percent in Niger and 46 percent in Afghanistan, according to figures from the United Nations Population Division. In the U.S., the share of children under 15 is 20 percent.…(7 August 2011)
03 August 2011
Population politics: nature and consequences
New Age - Bangladesh
(...) According to a recent report released by the United Nations Population Division, the world population—currently about 7 billion—will not stabilise at 9.3 billion by the middle of the twenty-first century as previously thought but will continue to grow till the end of the century. According to 2010 Revision of the World Population Prospects, the official UN population projections prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs released in May 2011, the world population will hit a staggering 10.1 billion by the year 2100. (...) Based on the countries’ reported fertility rates, the UN Population Division divided the world into three categories: high fertility countries, intermediate fertility countries, and low fertility countries. (...) The UN Population Division identified Bangladesh as an intermediate-fertility country based on the information provided by the government. tan, Ghana, Yemen, Mozambique and Madagascar. Needless to say, the high-fertility The UN Population Division projects that the population of Bangladesh, an intermediate-fertility country, will grow to about 195 million by 2070s and then start to decline. However, like the census figures, this projection is also based on the assumption that Bangladesh will achieve a fertility rate of 1.8 or 1.9 within the next few years. Clearly this is unlikely to happen so soon. (...)
31 July 2011)
New Age - Bangladesh
(...) According to a recent report released by the United Nations Population Division, the world population—currently about 7 billion—will not stabilise at 9.3 billion by the middle of the twenty-first century as previously thought but will continue to grow till the end of the century. According to 2010 Revision of the World Population Prospects, the official UN population projections prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs released in May 2011, the world population will hit a staggering 10.1 billion by the year 2100. (...) Based on the countries’ reported fertility rates, the UN Population Division divided the world into three categories: high fertility countries, intermediate fertility countries, and low fertility countries. (...) The UN Population Division identified Bangladesh as an intermediate-fertility country based on the information provided by the government. tan, Ghana, Yemen, Mozambique and Madagascar. Needless to say, the high-fertility The UN Population Division projects that the population of Bangladesh, an intermediate-fertility country, will grow to about 195 million by 2070s and then start to decline. However, like the census figures, this projection is also based on the assumption that Bangladesh will achieve a fertility rate of 1.8 or 1.9 within the next few years. Clearly this is unlikely to happen so soon. (...)
31 July 2011)
01 August 2011
Biodiversity On Earth Plummets, Despite Growth in Protected Habitats
Huffington Post - USA
Global population is expected to pass 7 billion in October, according to new estimates from the population division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations. That's an increase of 1 billion people in about a dozen years. Other challenges include the size of protected areas -- which are often too small for larger species to survive -- and the lack of connectivity between protected areas, which is needed for healthy genetic dispersal. ,…(30 July 2011)
Huffington Post - USA
Global population is expected to pass 7 billion in October, according to new estimates from the population division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations. That's an increase of 1 billion people in about a dozen years. Other challenges include the size of protected areas -- which are often too small for larger species to survive -- and the lack of connectivity between protected areas, which is needed for healthy genetic dispersal. ,…(30 July 2011)
29 July 2011
World population to top 7 billion before 2012
Wired - UK
The latest demographic estimates from the United Nations indicate that the global human population will top 7 billion before 2012. The population division of the department of economic and social affairs has released a report suggesting that the milestone will be achieved a mere 12 years after the 6 billion figure was hit in 1999. Another 2.3 billion are expected to be added by 2050, with human population hitting 10.1 billion in 2100. …(29 July 2011)
Wired - UK
The latest demographic estimates from the United Nations indicate that the global human population will top 7 billion before 2012. The population division of the department of economic and social affairs has released a report suggesting that the milestone will be achieved a mere 12 years after the 6 billion figure was hit in 1999. Another 2.3 billion are expected to be added by 2050, with human population hitting 10.1 billion in 2100. …(29 July 2011)
28 July 2011
Families downsizing
IPS Inter-Press Service - Italy
Nicaragua, a country of 5.8 million people, is also making efforts to promote family planning. Its crude birth rate has in fact fallen from 46 to 24 live births per 1,000 population between 1970 and 2009, according to the United Nations Population Division. ,…(27 July 2011)
IPS Inter-Press Service - Italy
Nicaragua, a country of 5.8 million people, is also making efforts to promote family planning. Its crude birth rate has in fact fallen from 46 to 24 live births per 1,000 population between 1970 and 2009, according to the United Nations Population Division. ,…(27 July 2011)
26 July 2011
‘Green’ the environment
Borneo Post - Malaysia
Engineers should think ‘green’ and not merely ‘large’ when designing and commissioning projects, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said yesterday. Launching the Asean Australian Engineering Congress here, he said the ‘green approach’ was necessary because environmental issues such as the greenhouse effect, deforestation, pollution, environmental degradation and climate change had grown to an alarming proportion in many parts of the world. (...) “Overpopulation poses yet another challenge. According to the United Nations Population Division, the worldwide population is expected to increase by 2.6 billion over the next 45 years…that is from 6.5 billion today to over nine billion by then. “The huge population is already putting a strain on limited natural resources that we have. All these problems, which are becoming commonplace, demand that we re-examine and change the way we live.”…(26 July 2011)
Borneo Post - Malaysia
Engineers should think ‘green’ and not merely ‘large’ when designing and commissioning projects, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said yesterday. Launching the Asean Australian Engineering Congress here, he said the ‘green approach’ was necessary because environmental issues such as the greenhouse effect, deforestation, pollution, environmental degradation and climate change had grown to an alarming proportion in many parts of the world. (...) “Overpopulation poses yet another challenge. According to the United Nations Population Division, the worldwide population is expected to increase by 2.6 billion over the next 45 years…that is from 6.5 billion today to over nine billion by then. “The huge population is already putting a strain on limited natural resources that we have. All these problems, which are becoming commonplace, demand that we re-examine and change the way we live.”…(26 July 2011)
20 July 2011
What a population of 7 billion people means for the planet
The Guardian - UK
Demographers aren't known for their sense of humor, but the ones who work for the United Nations recently announced that the world's human population will hit 7 billion on Halloween this year. Since censuses and other surveys can scarcely justify such a precise calculation, it's tempting to imagine that the UN Population Division, the data shop that pinpointed the Day of 7 Billion, is hinting that we should all be afraid, be very afraid. We have reason to be. The 21st century is not yet a dozen years old, and there are already 1 billion more people than in October 1999 — with the outlook for future energy and food supplies looking bleaker than it has for decades. …(18 July 2011)
The Guardian - UK
Demographers aren't known for their sense of humor, but the ones who work for the United Nations recently announced that the world's human population will hit 7 billion on Halloween this year. Since censuses and other surveys can scarcely justify such a precise calculation, it's tempting to imagine that the UN Population Division, the data shop that pinpointed the Day of 7 Billion, is hinting that we should all be afraid, be very afraid. We have reason to be. The 21st century is not yet a dozen years old, and there are already 1 billion more people than in October 1999 — with the outlook for future energy and food supplies looking bleaker than it has for decades. …(18 July 2011)
UN body rejigs Bangladesh head count
Bangladesh News 24 - Bangladesh
The United Nations Population Division has revised its head count figure for Bangladesh that drew flak from several quarters in 2010. To one's surprise, the UN has also revised drastically the mid-century (2050) population projection for Bangladesh, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The UNFPA on October 21, 2010 in its 'State of the World Population 2010' said that 'the population of Bangladesh is now 164.4 million, with an annual growth rate of 1.4 percent'. The government, however, rejected the numbers outright, as it was 15 million more than the count of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) that conducts census every 10 years. Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith binned the report saying it was 'unauthoised meddling'. "They (UNFPA) have no such right," he said after the report was released. Finally, on May 3, 2011, the UN Population Division revised Bangladesh's population close to 149 million.Prior to 2004, the UN Population Division estimated that Bangladesh's population would reach 218 million in 2050, and in 2004, they said it would be 243 million. In 2006, they jumped up to 256 million and then dropped the figure in 2008 when they said Bangladesh's population would be 222.5 million, close to other estimates like the one of US Population Reference Bureau. Now they say in 2050, Bangladesh's population would be 194 million and 'that is the peak – thereafter population declines'. bdnews24.com tried drawing planning minister's attention to the issue at the release of the preliminary results of the 5th Population and Housing Census 2011, but he chose not to react.Later prime minister's advisor Mashiur Rahman in his speech quipped, "In the world of knowledge, if we think we are the only wise people, then knowledge will not expand." "We should also accept those, who cultivate knowledge," he added referring to a query bdnews24.com raised before the planning minister whether organisations other than the government's BBS had the mandate to generate population data. "It's ridiculous," said Ahmed-al Sabir, a population researcher and consultant of USA-based Measure Evaluation."It only creates confusion," he said, adding that BBS should remove such confusions in a pro-active manner. However, UNFPA assistant representative Noor Mohammad told bdnews24.com that they do not generate any population data. "We bring out a world population report every year using data from Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat." "They generate the counts taking different countries' statistics," he said, adding that population projections can be different due to different methods of calculation."As census is conducted every 10 years, the UN Population Division generates those data during the interim periods," he said, adding all UN organisations use those data. The preliminary results of the 5th Population and Housing Census 2011 showed Bangladesh's population hitting 142.319 million on March 15. (17 July 2011)
Bangladesh News 24 - Bangladesh
The United Nations Population Division has revised its head count figure for Bangladesh that drew flak from several quarters in 2010. To one's surprise, the UN has also revised drastically the mid-century (2050) population projection for Bangladesh, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The UNFPA on October 21, 2010 in its 'State of the World Population 2010' said that 'the population of Bangladesh is now 164.4 million, with an annual growth rate of 1.4 percent'. The government, however, rejected the numbers outright, as it was 15 million more than the count of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) that conducts census every 10 years. Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith binned the report saying it was 'unauthoised meddling'. "They (UNFPA) have no such right," he said after the report was released. Finally, on May 3, 2011, the UN Population Division revised Bangladesh's population close to 149 million.Prior to 2004, the UN Population Division estimated that Bangladesh's population would reach 218 million in 2050, and in 2004, they said it would be 243 million. In 2006, they jumped up to 256 million and then dropped the figure in 2008 when they said Bangladesh's population would be 222.5 million, close to other estimates like the one of US Population Reference Bureau. Now they say in 2050, Bangladesh's population would be 194 million and 'that is the peak – thereafter population declines'. bdnews24.com tried drawing planning minister's attention to the issue at the release of the preliminary results of the 5th Population and Housing Census 2011, but he chose not to react.Later prime minister's advisor Mashiur Rahman in his speech quipped, "In the world of knowledge, if we think we are the only wise people, then knowledge will not expand." "We should also accept those, who cultivate knowledge," he added referring to a query bdnews24.com raised before the planning minister whether organisations other than the government's BBS had the mandate to generate population data. "It's ridiculous," said Ahmed-al Sabir, a population researcher and consultant of USA-based Measure Evaluation."It only creates confusion," he said, adding that BBS should remove such confusions in a pro-active manner. However, UNFPA assistant representative Noor Mohammad told bdnews24.com that they do not generate any population data. "We bring out a world population report every year using data from Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat." "They generate the counts taking different countries' statistics," he said, adding that population projections can be different due to different methods of calculation."As census is conducted every 10 years, the UN Population Division generates those data during the interim periods," he said, adding all UN organisations use those data. The preliminary results of the 5th Population and Housing Census 2011 showed Bangladesh's population hitting 142.319 million on March 15. (17 July 2011)
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