31 October 2011 | The World at 7 Billion
The arrival of the 7 billionth person on 31 October presents a rare moment to reflect on the slow but relentless demographic trends that shape our lives and our environment.
Population is growing fastest in the poorest countries, where people are least able to fulfill their basic needs. Indeed, ninety percent of the largest generation of adolescents in history live in the developing world, and they are now entering the childbearing years.
This number of adolescents entering their reproductive years means that high-quality, voluntary family planning services are more important than ever. They must meet the needs of this new generation of clients. This surge of young people requires accelerated investment in human development, particularly girls’ education. Educating girls is a powerful way to reduce birth rates. Data have shown that when women are educated they usually opt for smaller families, are more capable of overcoming obstacles to family planning use, and have more opportunity to become employed.
In their own voices, Council president Peter Donaldson, demographer John Bongaarts, community health physician Saroj Pachauri, and researcher Kelly Hallman describe the far-reaching implications of investing in family planning and young people. Read more >>
A world of 7 billion is both a challenge and an opportunity. We are focused on the opportunity to improve the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.
The arrival of the 7 billionth person on 31 October presents a rare moment to reflect on the slow but relentless demographic trends that shape our lives and our environment.
Population is growing fastest in the poorest countries, where people are least able to fulfill their basic needs. Indeed, ninety percent of the largest generation of adolescents in history live in the developing world, and they are now entering the childbearing years.
This number of adolescents entering their reproductive years means that high-quality, voluntary family planning services are more important than ever. They must meet the needs of this new generation of clients. This surge of young people requires accelerated investment in human development, particularly girls’ education. Educating girls is a powerful way to reduce birth rates. Data have shown that when women are educated they usually opt for smaller families, are more capable of overcoming obstacles to family planning use, and have more opportunity to become employed.
In their own voices, Council president Peter Donaldson, demographer John Bongaarts, community health physician Saroj Pachauri, and researcher Kelly Hallman describe the far-reaching implications of investing in family planning and young people. Read more >>
A world of 7 billion is both a challenge and an opportunity. We are focused on the opportunity to improve the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.
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