World Development Report 1984
World Development Report 1984
World Development Report 1984
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improving the availability of family planning serv- FIGURE 8.1<br />
ices. But in taking the next steps in population Fertility in relation to income: selected developing<br />
policy, each region faces a different set of issues. countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 1972 and 1982<br />
Sub-Saharan Africa: how to increase public commitment 9<br />
Total fertility rate<br />
* 1972<br />
Sub-Saharan Africa has the fastest population * 1982<br />
growth rate and the highest fertility in the world. 8 Kenya<br />
Between 1970 and 1979 population increased at 2.7<br />
percent a year, up from 2.5 percent a year during Ethiopla<br />
the 1960s. In a few East African countries popula- - udan l<br />
tion is growing at 4 percent or more a year. Of the .. Nigeria<br />
thirty-three sub-Saharan countries with more than 6 Zaire<br />
1 million people, thirty have a total fertility rate of Norm for 92 developing countries, 1972<br />
6 or more. Kenya, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe have<br />
fertility rates of 8 or more. Probably fewer than 10 5<br />
percent of married women of reproductive age are<br />
using modern contraception. Sub-Saharan Africa 4<br />
is the only region in which fertility has not begun Norm for 98 developing countries, 1982<br />
to fall, and in which population growth is expected<br />
to accelerate in the next decade. 3<br />
Africa is also the poorest region, with a per cap- 0 $1000 $2000 $3000<br />
ita income averaging only $482 in 1982-or $354 if Income percapita (1980 dollars)<br />
Nigeria is excluded. During the 1970s per capita<br />
income grew in real terms by just 0.8 percent a<br />
year; if Nigeria is excluded, it declined. The<br />
region's gross domestic product stagnated in 1981 The poor economic performance of sub-Saharan<br />
and 1982, while population rose 2.7 percent in each Africa cannot be blamed on rapid population<br />
year. Fertility in most countries is higher than growth alone, nor will slower population growth<br />
income alone would predict (see Figure 8.1). But solve all its economic problems. External economic<br />
when Africa's high mortality, low literacy, and shocks, as well as inappropriate domestic policies,<br />
largely rural population are taken into account, fer- have contributed to the region's economic crisis.<br />
tility is not unusually high. About a third of the But rapid population growth is creating severe<br />
adult population are literate in sub-Saharan coun- strains in some countries and, throughout the<br />
tries, compared with half of adults in all low- region as a whole, it is holding back improvements<br />
income countries and two-thirds in all middle- in living standards.<br />
income countries (see Table 8.2). Life expectancy at The strains are acute in a few countries and areas<br />
birth is forty-nine years, ten years less than in that are already overcrowded-Burundi, Kenya,<br />
other countries at the same income level. Malawi, eastern Nigeria, Rwanda, and parts of the<br />
TABLE 8 2<br />
<strong>Development</strong> indicators: Africa compared with all developing countries<br />
Per capita Adult Lifet Primaril-school<br />
i)coC01e literacy cxpectaicsl Cenrollminent ratio, femialc'<br />
1982 1980 1982 1981<br />
Cooitry yroup (dollars) (perce(lt) (years) (perce77t)<br />
Sub-Saharan Africa<br />
Low-income 249 38 49 57<br />
Middle-income 777 35 50 70<br />
All low-income countries 280 52 59 81<br />
All middle-income countries 1,520 65 60 95<br />
Note: Averages are weighted by 1982 population.<br />
a. Number of females enrolled in primary school as a percentage of all females of primary-school age.<br />
162