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ADB says Asia Pacific has achieved population slowdown

The Asian Development Bank says the Asia Pacific has achieved a marked slow-down in population growth rates.

The Bank has released a report looking at key indicators of growth and change in the region.

Graeme Dobell reports on population trends for half the human race -- the 3-point-two billion people of the Asia Pacific.

The study says that the average population growth rate for developing Asia is now less than one-and-a-half percent a year. China, with 40 percent of the region's population is expanding below this average. South Asia, also with 40 percent of the region's people, is above the average expanding at more than 1-point-seven percent. Even so, the Asian Development Bank says there was a marked slowing of population growth during the last decade, due to rising levels of education, more women in paid work, and greater access to contraception. The Asia Pacific is getting a greater percentage of older people, and fewer children. The share of the population under the age of 14 is declining, while the percentage of people over 65 is increasing.

13/09/01 16:01:34 | ABC Radio Australia News

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