Population in Asia

This study attempts to inform discussion about population issues in Asia, in 1990 a region with half the world's population. This study addresses a wide range of topics, including past patterns of population growth and its underlying determinants, the design of family planning programmes, and the implications of population prospects for macroeconomic and sectoral policies. Its approach is comparative analysis based on country-level data. The findings in this study are properly viewed as first steps toward designing country-specific interventions. Three overall messages emerge concerning population policies: a) the effectiveness of Asia's family planning programs in sustaining further fertility decline can be improved; b) investments in family planning services are essential, but not sufficient, to bring about sustained fertility declines to replacement level; and c) substantial population increase is unavoidale in the short run, say the next 40 years, presenting substantial challenges for development policies.