World Development Report 1984

Box 8.2 China's census: counting a billion people
C Ina ,, ri-, ,r, hi-tori. jj p pulat,on st3- 3Th,-tan; .t t \JFF ih. g - r nrnm,ni n1 L-.t ..r. i--' n I'n-.- ii. tip,
t,;ti:; Ii ti e; inr -, i o r ' Inmatt e.p.- to publish *..unllri re Ii r l.- . r rnd d. .. n- ,n taminn ,r, d ran * . rie;
|ir,.,hing back to the Zhou d,r.3;r . I:.-:aid ajmin,-rr.ai.t un,r; b.ir. ilhe .rd bci. rr r-,inn,n, it,n ir,n-,i,.:,r, I....
ih,A., 3nd e,r 5 - b: nore ih.e n ..iI' -onan.,.:.
t*idu'. ,nr, l-C. F;'IIl, had rea"d.d
|U*u' But cenl iu9 iAI.,n dt ri.iratd in I'. ih *u:h : arc. , undtrral inc ;.in, 1-. .A at*t 2 2 in I'" th,hn r..- b, 1I
rhc moderr era There .ai . bead ;!unt .-.npr.ri.-.:- had Ic. bhe mad.:-heet- r . pr..:.rit n IuSI In tha .ear mn.r, than a
U I . t er 4111 minilkn Ch,r.e- in 1'.-, rapidi ,eedlaci. I rc 'ull, and c. : k ih,rd hrn1 1 . .. r, nr .... . u; ncr i-
|D.a tronm Thc I'n .:Ir.;u- r -impl, nlu re.rnri ,- iragt Fo-r
r.it er-I Ji,d.d c.leio.n and rl, de-p.r. .e-.:hi.i p.1k
rJeaI ed .hJ ed a p. pulan.on *1 iu;i not .- r-t 4ien.:.: but A rit. 5 .n. .- J...d ,3n -..er halt -'t .fll birlh . .-rc r n . r
under -iII1 million r,.z Epn'eu .r pic; .- - .. ,rk r.id oth.r h,. F..r .-rdr ThL ;ur e. ih-. J rt,t,.d
In ihe t i... r- . e- .-. I lul- lS2 thr ctraT:ii til I.-.ti,n- a .- 1r;. . r- iti-tac. r. daia le -' -t - .rcbi -.
. uh ih eouit.n .,t
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1niliic.r. ;n'uz taiker- nd th-ir S.'. - tel., *L,L'tC i I ,b-ut I njil- Th, .ibc.%: - ni,nnend hndir.4 r ir.nn
,uper'. r..r.. .:arr.. ur :, n.r. *:nwu; I.... -. M,.r. in... ha, . been rni-. di ihL. tn tlh..- :e u- .r.d rtIe : m r.E ...n-np1renf
tF-, arc-.. e.er an,. here . car;u. count .i.h -i,me.i .*rr..r and .. -- .....1: l ph.:,
h, .. ri mi'l ripid hand-pr.ec-;ng ir. 5-pitniNr 1' k - I h..n th fdhrn.:'. re'
inror t,rew p.'pulai-n. r pc,.:. h
th, !o-.rnnrn p,blrt LI ]h d in.,tal r-Lt M*ultil rtir ,rt. llpr.kFtinF th, .:r- the ........... 11-, lie .,. -al -c 3.-rol ln ctt-..........ri; ;,re r,.nl.rin,reicr
her jir n .n.. .. '
rr . . . ....... .-.. n , t ,cu:E China
ni,".t c.n;uz . -n,.:,t,.:.n- 3r in %Ir... -in.:. pe.:i'.e Ner1i ~U .r .: r -'n, mnil l-- h... h , iri- t-'r Ss of e- p.'rwi.n- that
ouni iin'l. ; r,.t1 p-.-puialion rN..Jd . n.n t..:. p ron, rnm ... i i hn-n -n. -... r1 %r - ..- uTri,. -' i a ;h Ir i.- have in such
tilhnon pers..n; ii, ,';n, ad ancd -, C..ni- n .irJ in rh,r h. ni- h, in-rn. C.'.it tvlri ' ili;i 'ik
p...r-n t. hr.t.'i..z' .uF... pliled1 .. itilt ih Iii., i- t lund rb:. irr,l. rt.;m b. "
and analyzed census data not more than ten years experience of countries shown in Table 8.1 sugold
and other national sample surveys document- gests the importance of institutionalizing two funcing
current fertility, mortality, and contraceptive tions:
use at more frequent intervals (item A in Table 8.1). * Relating demographic targets to the policies
Lack of reliable demographic data has hampered and resources necessary to achieve them. A poputhe
growth of political support for population poli- lation policy should include consideration of the
cies in sub-Saharan Africa. Data collection and demographic benefits of a wide range of social polanalysis
is a continuous process, necessary to icies, in education, health, and social security, as
monitor trends and the effect of policies over time. well as in family planning. It should also consider
the complementarities among these policies. This
POLITICAL COMMITMENT. Support for slowing is fundamentally a planning function, one which
population growth has been expressed in public relates demographic variables and policy alternastatements
by the head of state and other national tives (item C). It is usually the responsibility of a
leaders, and in written statements of national pri- specialized unit within a planning ministry, such
orities, such as a national development plan (item as the Manpower Board of the Ministry of Finance
B). These statements can range from a general and Plan in Ghana, and the Population Planning
commitment to reducing population growth to Section within the Planning Commission in
specific demographic targets (see Box 8.3). Coun- Bangladesh.
tries with strong policies have been able to mobi- * Coordinating and evaluating the implementalize
visible and sustained political commitment, tion of population policy. This may require few
not only at the highest levels of government but new institutional arrangements if the scope of popthroughout
the political and administrative hierar- ulation policy is limited to, say, wider provision of
chy, down to those who are in immediate touch family planning. In this case, the policy coordinatwith
the public. This commitment helps to forge ing body may be the one that also coordinates
cooperation among the numerous sectors and min- multisectoral family planning activities. But as
istries involved in population policy. population policy becomes more complex, it is
likely to involve the joint efforts of other minis-
INSTITUTIONS. The role of institutions is to trans- tries: education (for population education and
late political commitment into effective policy. The female literacy); information (to encourage breast-
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