What
should we make of such a tremendous figure?
The world's population has topped 7 billion.
This is nearly triple the 1950 population of about 2.5 billion.
The world's population has been increasing
more slowly in recent years, but it has kept rising by about 80 million people
per year, due mainly to population expansion in developing countries.
One projection says the global population will
reach 9.3 billion in 2050, and exceed 10 billion before presumably tapering off
toward the end of the 21st century.
The biggest factor behind the population
increase is the drop in mortality rates in developing nations. Remarkable
progress in medical services and increased food production in many parts of the
world has brought spectacular improvements to many people's lives.
The world's average life expectancy, which was
48 in the early 1950s, has jumped to 68. This is a matter of celebration in
itself.
More
kids in poorer countries
Can mankind safely overcome the challenges of
this global population explosion, the likes of which it has never faced before?
Will humans be able to ensure peace and prosperity by making the maximum use of
limited food resources and effectively exploiting energy sources?
A mountain of tasks will need to be addressed
to resolve these problems.
The world's average total fertility rate--the
average number of children a woman has in her lifetime--is currently estimated
at 2.5. However, the poorer a country, the higher the fertility rate tends to
be. The figure in some African countries is above five.
This has given rise to fears that poverty
could become entrenched in these countries. It is imperative to continue
providing livelihood assistance to people in the poorest nations.
Many young people lack information about
contraception. More must be done to promote family planning education and boost
the social status of women in less developed countries.
The UN Population Fund has pointed to some
challenges that will accompany the demographic changes sweeping the world.
People aged 60 or older currently account for only 12 per cent of the world's
population, but the fund estimates this figure will climb to 25 per cent in the
middle of this century.
This will require the promotion of employment
policies for the elderly, and forging ahead with reform of pension systems and
medical services.
The world's eyes have been on Japan's attempts
to meet these tasks, as this country has been a front-runner when it comes to
dealing with an aging society.
Major
changes in intl relations
India is projected to overtake China as the
world's most populous nation around 2020. Asia's population, currently 4.2
billion, is likely to reach 5.2 billion in about 40 years and then slowly
decline.
Japan's population, now about 128 million, is
forecast to plunge to 48 million at the end of this century.
Meanwhile, the population of Africa, now about
1 billion, is expected to balloon to 3.5 billion toward the century's end.
Under these circumstances, movements of people
across national borders in such forms as immigration will become more common.
Intensified scrambles for food and other
resources loom in many parts of the globe. The dynamics of international
politics will undoubtedly change dramatically.
Japan, for its part, must chart out a strategy
that takes into account the impact of major demographic changes taking place
around the world.
Editorial Desk
The Yomiuri Shimbun
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