Brief Review of World Demographic Trends: Explaining Population Trends: Birth, Death and Migration

Abstract

In summary, the population in most regions is still increasing, because there are still more births than deaths. Europe is the exception in that there are more deaths than births in the last decade. However, population in Europe is still increasing, because net migration - into Europe - is larger than the difference between deaths and births.

Second, net population change is higher in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa than in the other regions, largely because births in those areas are higher than births in other areas. The higher net population change in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa corresponds to their higher population growth rates, and so their increasing percentage of the world population (see previous report).

Finally, in Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, births have been declining. So while the population is still growing, it is growing more slowly. Births are still increasing in Africa and so net population growth is still increasing. In Europe, in the last 5 year period, deaths are declining and births are increasing, so population growth has been increasing in the past 5 year period. In Northern America, net population change has had very little change recently and so population growth in Northern America has also been very small.

Keywords: population, birth, death, migration

JEL Classification: J11