Population of South Asia

Terms and Definitions

» Population pyramid—bar graph that shows percentage of males and females and age groups in a country.

» What can you tell about a population from a population pyramid?

» Annual growth rate—change in population in one year

˃ Birth rate - Death rate + Net Immigration

» Growth rate can be positive, zero, or negative

Facts

» South Asia has three countries in the top ten for population (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh)

» 22 percent of the world lives in South Asia

» India has 1.1 billion people and is the 2nd most populous country in the world

» Pakistan is 6th most populous and Bangladesh in the 7th most populous

Population

» In 1947, India’s population was 300 million…60 years later the population tripled.

Why?

» Advances in medicine» Green Revolution

˃ New techniques for farming produced more grain—so there were less famines and people lived longer lives

The Future» Experts predict

that by 2030, India will have more people than China. By 2100, they believe India will be the only country to have 2 billion people.

What are the consequences of having a large population?

» Widespread poverty˃ 1/4th of the world’s starving people live in India˃ 42.5% of India’s children are malnourished

» Illiteracy˃ India has 61% literacy rate; 48% for women˃ Pakistan has 50% literacy rate, 32% for women

» Poor Health Care˃ Poor sanitation and limited health care services˃ Mothers often die in childbirth; many children to not survive to

adulthood

Solutions

» “Let’s Have Smaller Families for a Stronger India”˃ The Indian government has pushed for smaller families since the

1950s, but it has had limited success+ Women often marry before the age of 18+ Children are a source of income+ Poor health care means children die young, so parents want to

have more children to make sure some live to adulthood

Education

» Education provides children with knowledge and skills to move out of poverty

» Females can find opportunities to work outside of the home and learn about family planning

BUT…

» India has an incredibly weak public education system, especially for the poor. The schools are often crowded, lack teachers, and lack supplies

» In parts of Pakistan, the Taliban ban education for women