It is quite significant that extremely high fertility figures are now mostly confined to tropical Africa, with only a few exceptions (such as Afghanistan and East Timor).

Source: www.geocurrents.info

In the decades after 1950, less developed countries were characterized as having very high fertility rates and that was (by and large) an accurate statement.  While the highest birth rates are still in less developed economies, it is important to note that the subjective scale is changing; while over 8 was once uncommonly high, now over 5 is as comparably uncommon a fertility rate as 8 used to be.  This still signals global population growth, but the idea that the ‘less developed world’ hasn’t adopted birth control or other measures to slow population growth is outdated.   

 

Tag: declining populations, population, demographics, unit 2 population.