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Why Population Counts Population trends have a powerful impact on our future, affecting everything from the environment to the economy to resource scarcity. The Population Resource Center is committed to educating policymakers about important demographic trends and their implications for public policy. To that end, the Center promotes the use of accurate population data and sound, objective analysis of these data in the making of public policy. 
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 Apr. 14, 2008 PRC Oped Appears in Newsday Long-term Solutions Needed to Feed the World Dec. 07, 2007 PRC Launches New Web Site The Population Resource Center has redesigned its Website to reflect the ever growing links between population and issues like climate change, global stability, energy, and water scarcity. Our goal is to provide policymakers with easy access to the demographic data and information they need to make informed decisions. As part of this redesign, we are unveiling Population Counts, a blog that will serve as an open forum for discussing how population growth and other demographic trends are reshaping our world. |
 Nov. 01, 2007 Instability in Pakistan: Demographic Factors Demographic factors are contributing to unrest in Pakistan, particularly the “youth bulge.” Pakistan, the world’s sixth largest country, has a population of 165 million that is projected to grow to 228 million by 2025. Presently, there are nearly 60 million Pakistanis under age 15. Because of the poor state of public education in Pakistan, a growing number of these young people are being educated in madrassas, religious schools, many of which are run by radical Islamic factions. There are 54 million young people between the ages of 10 and 24, accounting for just over a third of the population of Pakistan, many of whom are unemployed and living in areas of growing unrest. Jul. 18, 2007 Debating Immigration: Next Steps? Last year, America passed the 300 million mark, and with current immigration and population trends it is anticipated that the 400 million mark will be reached in less than forty years. Future immigration may address such problems as the scarcity of labor, but it will also pose challenges — significant challenges — to the environment, transportation, education, and other government services. Just as importantly, immigration will mean different things to different people. There are many voices and concerns that need to be heard in the immigration debate. Apr. 20, 2007 Addressing State Demographic Diversity: The SCHIP Challenge The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) pays a part of the cost of insurance coverage for millions of low-income children who are not eligible for Medicaid. SCHIP’s current period of authorization is scheduled to end after federal fiscal year, September, 2007. As reauthorization nears, policymakers have begun to focus on areas of concern within the program and to identify recommendations for reform and improvement. One major area of concern is how to respond to immigrant families whose numbers have grown significantly over recent years. Because so many immigrant children are uninsured, they have poorer access to medical care. On April 20, PRC, along with co-sponsor Congressman Danny Davis, held a briefing to discuss how SCHIP’s reauthorization affects immigrant children’s access to cost-effective preventive care. |
 May. 01, 2008 Population Trends and the Food Crisis As the global food crisis intensifies, so will the debate over its origins. Several factors account for the emerging international food crisis, including rising energy prices, a drought in Australia, and the conversion of cropland to biomass production. More recently, hoarding of grains and financial speculation in grain commodity prices have exacerbated the rise in food commodity prices. ... Read More » Apr. 30, 2008 Living Longer? Americans as a whole may be living longer, but two recent studies reveal growing and disturbing disparities in longevity. In fact, not all Americans are living longer; life expectancy in some areas of the country is actually declining.Two weeks ago, the Congressional Budget Office released a report (“Growing Disparities in Life Expectancy”) that found: Though the gaps in life... Read More » Apr. 28, 2008 "More" is Needed It seems inevitable that the world food crisis, combined with climate change and rising energy prices, will spur a renewed and contentious debate over the issue of population. Before that debate is renewed in its full intensity, everyone should read More: Population, Nature, and What Women Want, a new book by Robert Engelman, vice president for programs at the Worldwatch Institute. ... Read More » Apr. 25, 2008 Population and the Food Crisis This morning I received an emergency e-mail appeal from Mercy Corps. Warning that “a perfect storm” of factors “is pushing global food prices up dramatically,” it appealed for help:In Niger, prices of bread, powdered milk and wheat flour have spiked, exacerbating the West African nation’s precarious food situation. Last December, more than three million... Read More » Apr. 17, 2008 Population and the Philippines If there is a ground zero to the food crisis, it’s probably in the Philippines. Concern is mounting that the Philippines will not be able to import enough rice this year and experts—inside and outside the Philippines—are warning that major food riots could erupt as a result of the shortfall.Productivity in the rice fields is very high, but farmland is increasingly scarce in the... Read More » Apr. 16, 2008 IAASTD Issues Warning Yesterday, the UN’s International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) warned, “The way the world grows its food will have to change radically to better serve the poor and hungry if the world is to cope with a growing population and climate change while avoiding social breakdown and environmental collapse.” Citing the “increasingly... Read More » |
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