The end of population growth in Asia

This paper presents probabilistic population projections for five regions of Asia (South Asia, Central Asia, China region, Pacific OECD and Pacific Asia) and Asia as a whole. Over this century, Asia will experience very heterogeneous demographic development: Central Asia is expected to almost double in population and South Asia will become by far the world’s most populous region, rapidly surpassing the China region. Simultaneously, the Pacific OECD countries are likely to shrink in population size and experience extreme population ageing. The proportion of the population aged 60 and above in these countries (with Japan having the greatest weight) is expected to reach 50 per cent of the total population (with the 95 per cent uncertainty interval ranging from 35 to 61 per cent). The China region will experience a more rapid speed of ageing, with the proportion aged 60 and above expected to increase by a factor of four from 10 per cent in 2000 to 39 per cent in 2100.     

Exponential Population Growth and Doubling Times: Are They Dead or Merely Quiescent?

Exponential Growth and Doubling Times: Use of these popular population buzzwords of the last half of the twentieth century was fully justified by the growth rates of that period. However, those growth rates have now all but disappeared and so have the underlying reasons that those buzzwords made sense. Misuse of such expressions today costs credibility. Though the world's population growth certainly does remain vigorous and robust, creating many reasons for concern, nowhere today is growth projected as exponential. The essence of exponential growth is analyzed and distinguished from exponential curves, and non-exponential growth. Several types of current population growth are recognized, none being exponential. In periods of non-exponential growth, a Doubling Time calculated from a single annual growth rate is grossly erroneous and often absurd. Other standard measures of growth are needed. United Nations projections should include figures for percentage growth by 2025 and 2050.     

清代新疆地区少数民族人口发展的经济环境

本文通过论述清朝政府在新疆地区推行的经济开发政策和新疆地区经济发展的状况,分析了清代新疆地区经济发展对少数民族人口的影响,提出清代新疆地区少数民族人口的发展具有良好的经济环境.     

生育率演变的生态学逻辑及人口增长的长期趋势

人口增长的长期过程一直是充满困惑与引发争论的话题,将人类复归到生态系统的普通成员,按照生态学逻辑构建一个由替代生育率内生引导、人口容量外生制约的人口增长新模型,以代替用具体社会经济因子解释短周期人口变动的传统思路,探讨生育率转变的一般模式及人口发展的长期趋势。工业革命以来,全球人口已经或正在经历着第一次、第二次生育率转变,全球生育率演变可以聚类为欧美、亚非拉、撒哈拉以南非洲和东亚四种区域模式;在计划生育政策的推动下,我国在短短的三十年内完整经历了两次生育率转变。极限替代生育率是生育率演变的长期目标,但当前已有一些国家跌破更替水平,这也许会成为各个国家的普遍经历,预示着人口容量约束的日益显性化;世界及主要国家的人口规模正在日益逼近其容量极限,并会在惯性驱动下突破容量限制,达到峰值后再以负增长方式趋近人口容量,同期的生育率也将向极限替代生育率递增复归。按趋势模拟世界和中国的可持续人口容量分别约为65亿人和12亿人。研究设计出测量人口增长惯性的新指标——人口增长惯性系数,它是生育率与实时替代生育率之比或出生率与死亡率之比,相比常用的人口惯性因子更为简便易行。     

A Different Look at the “Population Problem”

The elite in Iran have been trained in Western economic ideas and committed to solving the problem of poverty either by Marxist or by neo-liberal methods. The author found that neither fit the real situation of people who live in traditional ways. Indeed, economic thought and modern practice are the causes of poverty. They have also imposed on people the false idea that population growth, rather than policies of domination, are the source of environmental damage and shortages.     

宁夏人口与生态环境面临的问题及对策

宁夏是少数民族地区,较为宽松的生育政策。导致人口快速增殖。由于宁夏所处的地理位置和历史遗留的生态债务使得境内生态环境十分脆弱。尤其是人口过度增殖已超出了刚性土地资源的有效容纳力。这不仅给环境造成了巨大压力,也进一步加剧了生态环境的恶化。本文通过大量统计数据和实地调研。分析了近年来宁夏人口与生态环境之间存在的亟待解决的矛盾和问题。分析表明,当前宁夏尤其是宁南山区人口数量与人口素质、人口数量与生态存量和生态消费之间表现出了明显的此长彼消的关系。在分析的基础上．提出了人口与生态环境建设方面的政策建议。     

中国人口转变研究综述

20世纪后半叶,中国人口再生产类型的根本性转变对国家经济建设和社会发展产生了深远影响;对中国人口转变过程和目前所处阶段还有不同观点。从人口统计数据来看,中国已完成人口转变;从经济发展和现代化实现程度分析,人口转变还没有完成;有观点认为,中国人口转变不仅已经完成,而且进入后人口转变期。2l世纪,伴随人口转变过程的不断深化,中国人口转变问题将趋于多元化和复杂化,这既为中国人口发展提出挑战,也必将进一步丰富中国人口转变理论与实践。     

Effects of population policy and economic reform on the trend in fertility in Guangdong province,China, 1975–2005

An analysis of data mainly from China's 1990 and 2000 censuses and 2005 mini-census shows how fertility decline between 1975 and 2005 in the province of Guangdong has been influenced by both fertility policy and economic and social development. Guangdong's development since 1975 has been very rapid and has attracted huge numbers of migrants from other provinces. The analysis of the province's fertility trend from 1975 shows clearly the influence of fertility policy on the trend. The analysis also shows that economic development has brought about large changes in population composition by urban/rural residence, education, occupation, and migration status, which, together with large fertility differentials by these characteristics, have contributed substantially to Guangdong's fertility decline, in large part through changes in proportions currently married.     

60年来中国人口惯性变化及趋势

本文使用国际上较为成熟的测量方法,系统地计算了60年来中国总人口惯性、城乡人口惯性和分年龄人口惯性的变化和趋势。得出重要结论:第一,中国人口正增长的人口惯性作用正在逐渐消失;第二,中国城镇处于人口正负惯性的转折点,而中国人口的惯性增长完全来自农村;第三,中国人口惯性增长将突出表现为老年组人口规模大幅度的增长。     

An Explanatory Model for Projecting Regional Fertility Differences in the Netherlands

Current differences in the level of the total fertility rate (TFR) between Dutch municipalities are smaller than they were in the 1970s and 1980s. Nevertheless, there are still considerable differences. Small municipalities have higher TFRs than large cities. This article aims to answer the question whether these differences will decline further until differences between large and small cities disappear. For that purpose we develop a regression model of regional differences in the TFR including demographic, socioeconomic, and cultural variables. Using the estimation results we decompose differences in fertility between large and small cities into the contribution of differences in levels of the determinants versus differences in the relationships between the determinants and fertility. The results show that differences in cultural variables have a larger effect on differences in the TFR than the demographic and socioeconomic variables. As cultural differences do not tend to change quickly, they will not lead to quick changes in regional differences in the TFR. Demographic differences are not expected to lead to strong changes either, as the two demographic variables (household structure and ethnic structure) have opposite effects. As the effect of the socioeconomic variable is caused by differences in the magnitude of the regression coefficient rather than by differences in the value of this variable, even if differences in this variable disappeared, this would still not lead to convergence of the TFR. Thus the article concludes that differences in the TFR between large and small cities are not likely to diminish quickly.     

Below-replacement fertility in Thailand and its policy implications

The fertility transition in Thailand has been one of the most rapid among Asian countries that are yet to attain newly industrialized country status. In the early 1960s, the total fertility rate exceeded six births per woman; currently, it stands at 1.9 or slightly below replacement level. At present, it is hard to predict the future trend in fertility as this involves several factors that need much closer study, in particular, fertility preferences, changes in marriage patterns and the wider effects of the current economic crisis in Thailand. Rapid declines in fertility and mortality have had a profound effect on the age structure of the population, notably the increasing elderly proportion. Thailand now faces new challenges and priorities for population policy. Policy responses to concerns arising from below-replacement fertility will be much more complex and involve greater government activism, improved institutional capacities and more resources than in the past. This paper reviews the fertility transition in Thailand and looks at some consequences and policy implications of low fertility, with special reference to the family and the elderly population. National Statistical Office     

The Momentum of Real Population Under Linear Fertility Transition

Population momentum is the ratio of a population's ultimate size after a demographic transition to its initial size before the transition. For stable population and instantaneous drop to replacement fertility, Keyfitz found a simple formula for the momentum. Although Keyfitz's formula has been extended to cover gradual demographic transitions, the stable initial population, however, is still an obstacle to approaching reality. Using the solution of the Lotka equation with time-varying vital rates and extending it to negative values of time, exact and accurate formulae for the momentum of any initial population that undergoes a linear fertility transition are expressed. Examples using the data from the United Nations indicate that the accurate formula works well for the age structures that are far from stable such as the more and less developed regions, as well as that close to stable such as the least developed region.     

引入省际人口迁移因素的陕西省人口发展趋势预测

20世纪80年代中期以来,由于政治、经济等多方面因素的变动,我国省际人口迁移规模急剧增长。省际人口迁移已成为影响区域人口发展趋势的重要因素之一。本文以陕西省为例。了解陕西省的省际迁移人口的规模大小和年龄分布特征,分析在引入省际人口迁移因素时,陕西省人口老龄化进程将如何变化。研究结果发现：陕西省迁入人口呈现年轻态特征,多为处于就业初期的年轻人口,减缓了陕西省人口老龄化速度。     

中国妇女生育水平变动考证和未来人口发展的策略选择

1990年以来各类人口调查和相关学者的研究结果显示,目前的低生育水平的实现有外在政策强力的作用,更有中国社会经济发展内生化的作用;真实的生育水平既不是调查包括人口普查所显示的那样低(低于1.5),也不是有关部门和政府所想象的那样高。调查显示农村居民平均生育意愿不会高于2个孩子,这是生育率持续稳定的根本。众所周知,为了保证人口稳定持续的发展,应使妇女生育率保持更替水平或至少接近更替水平。从人口发展规律和人口发展与社会经济发展相适应的规律出发,结合当前我国居民生育意愿和生育水平走低的实际,我们应该抓住生育政策调整的最佳时期,调整应该在最佳时期即未来5-10年内完成。     

人口现代化"和"生育现代化":人口发展与计划生育工作的根本目标

人口现代化和生育现代化是人口发展与计划生育工作的根本目标。计划生育就是为了实现生育的现代化,进而来推进人口的现代化。如果说人口现代化是人口发展的战略目标,那么生育现代化就是计划生育事业的战略目标。从政策的角度探讨两大命题的现实意义,在此基础上提出了稳定低生育水平的"三合一"工程。     

Replacement Migration: A Questionable Tactic for Delaying the Inevitable Effects of Fertility Transition

This article critiques a recent U.N. Population Division report, Replacement Migration: Is it a Solution to Declining and Ageing Populations? The report explores the use of increased immigration to bolster future population size and change age distribution patterns in a group of developed countries. Fertility rate declines and lengthening life expectancies associated with demographic transition inevitably yield an aging population and a falling potential support ratio (PSR), a situation which some demographers and economists view with alarm. As the U.N. report itself suggests, replacement migration can only temporarily delay population aging and decline. These issues are ultimately better addressed through changes in retirement policy. Population projections should be used only with great caution in designing long-term demographic policy. In particular, some assumptions used to make the U.N. projections are questionable, and even minor changes in those assumptions would yield substantially different policy conclusions. Replacement migration also raises difficult environmental questions by moving large numbers of people from low to high per-capita consumption nations. Modest population decline, particularly in more developed countries, may have significant local and global environmental and climate policy benefits.

     

三大人口高峰与中国现代人口转变

21世纪中国将出现三大人口高峰 ,社会各界无不表示严重担忧。本文则与众不同 ,作者通过人口学分析 ,论证了三大人口高峰的到来是应值得喜庆之事 ,因为高峰到来之日就是中国人口步入良性循环轨道之时。本文还提出和确立了中国现代人口转变的理念 ,并认为三大高峰的到来 ,也是中国实现现代人口转变的标志     

Fertility Decline in Former “Asian Tigers”

The fertility opportunity hypothesis suggests that individuals and couples adjust family size in response to their perception that economic opportunity is increasing (or diminishing.) A sense that opportunities are expanding encourages a relatively high, even rising, family size target. On the contrary, the perception that opportunities and resources will fall short of satisfying the aspirations of oneself or family lead to lowering family size targets. The literature suggests that family size target translates into completed family size on the order of 85 to 90 percent. The economic collapse of former Asian tigers in late summer, 1997, offered a chance to test the hypothesis prospectively. In, 1998, an author (Abernethy) predicted that fertility rates in the nine Asian tiger economies would fall during the 1997-1999 interval at a faster rate than had been observed in immediately preceding two-year intervals. This paper reports the results of tests of the hypothesis with respect to the Asian tigers and several other country clusters for which no particular prediction was made. Preliminary findings appear to support the fertility opportunity hypothesis.     

开放区域的人口分组要素组合预测

随着经济发展和区域开放程度的提高,传统的区域人口预测方法已不合时宜。本文依据人口平衡方程,运用人口分要素组合预测法,阐述了开放区域人口预测的基本方法和步骤,从而为具体的人口预测工作提供思路借鉴。     

我国流动人口生育问题研究概述

在我国经济社会的高速发展影响下,流动人口数量与日俱增。流动人口中的育龄人群也在我国整体育龄人群中占较大比例．因此其生育问题受到了广泛关注。当前学界对流动人口的生育问题主要围绕其生育意愿、生育水平、生育服务管理而展开,通过研究发现流动人口的生育状况由于其居住、工作等的特殊性而呈现出一些不同于城市常住人口和农村未流动人口等的特点。而要将研究进一步引向深入,扩展地域之维、丰富实地调研资料、探析数理关系是可尝试的分析路径。