Population, Poverty, and Sustainable Development : A Review of the Evidence

Das Gupta, Monica ; Bongaarts, John ; Cleland, John

关键词: CHILD HEALTH;    ECONOMIC GROWTH;    FAMILY PLANNING;    HIGH FERTILITY;    NATURAL RESOURCES;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-5719
RP-ID  :  WPS5719

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

There is a very large but scatteredliterature debating the economic implications of highfertility. This paper reviews the literature on threethemes: (a) Does high fertility affect low-incomecountries' prospects for economic growth and povertyreduction? (b) Does population growth exacerbate pressure onnatural resources? and (c) Are family planning programseffective at lowering fertility, and should they be publiclyfunded? The literature shows broad consensus that whilepolicy and institutional settings are key in shaping theprospects of economic growth and poverty reduction, the rateof population growth also matters. Recent studies find thatlow dependency ratios (as fertility declines) create anopportunity for increasing productivity, savings andinvestment in future growth. They find that lower fertilityis associated with better child health and schooling, andbetter health and greater labor-force participation forwomen. They also indicate that rapid population growth canconstrain economic growth, especially in low-incomecountries with poor policy environments. Population growthalso exacerbates pressure on environmental common propertyresources. Studies highlight the deep challenges to aligningdivergent interests for managing these resources. However,part of the pressure on these resources can be mitigated byreducing the rate of population growth. Although familyplanning programs are only one policy lever to help reducefertility, studies find them effective. Such programs mighthelp especially in the Sub-Saharan African region, wherehigh fertility and institutional constraints on economicgrowth combine to slow rises in living standards.