The State of World Population 2011

The State of World Population 2011

People and possibilities in a world of 7 billion

Additional Investments in Youth Needed as World Population Tops 7 Billion, States UNFPA Report
Tear down barriers to put women and men on equal footing, agency head says….

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, October 2011

English PDF [132p.] at: http://bit.ly/sTVYZ2
Spanish: PDF [132p.] at: http://bit.ly/vZpN56
French : PDF [132p.] at: http://bit.ly/rGnica

“…..world population is projected to reach 7 billion. How we respond now will determine whether we have a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future or one that is marked by inequalities, environmental decline and economic setbacks…

The milestone of 7 billion is marked by achievements, setbacks and paradoxes. While women are on average having fewer children than they were in the 1960s, our numbers continue to rise. Globally, people are younger—and older— than ever before. In some of the poorest countries, high fertility rates hamper development and perpetuate poverty, while in some of the richest countries, low fertility rates and too few people entering the job market are raising concerns about prospects for sustained economic growth and about the viability of social security systems.

While labour shortages threaten to stymie the economies of some industrialized countries, unemployed would-be migrants in developing countries are finding more and more national borders closed to them and the expertise they may have to offer. And while progress is being made in reducing extreme poverty, gaps between rich and poor are widening almost everywhere.

The State of World Population 2011 explores some of these paradoxes from the perspective of individuals and describes the obstacles they confront—and overcome— in trying to build better lives for themselves, their families, communities and nations.

Through personal stories, this report sheds light on the real-life challenges we face in our world of 7 billion…..”

Content:

Website: http://bit.ly/umn1OF

- Youth: a new global power reshaping the world

- Security, economic strength and independence in old age

- What influences fertility?

- Decision to move: the power and impact of migration

- Planning ahead for the growth of cities

- Sharing and sustaining Earth’s resources

- The way ahead: finishing the Cairo agenda