Sunday, August 30, 2009

1 Billion People in Africa


The 2009 World Population Data Sheet, released by the Population Reference Bureau and USAID, disclosed that there are now 1 billion people in Africa. They also project that the population will double again by 2050 since the growth rate is currently increasing by 24 million people each year.

In sub-Saharan Africa, women usually have an average of 5.3 children, while the global average is 2.6. Niger is the country with the highest fertility rate at 7.4 children. The major reason for this is lack of education (especially for women) and the need for family planning. Only 30 percent of children attend secondary school in sub-Saharan Africa and do not have access to necessary resources.

For the full report, click here.
--Jessica Milstead

Source: allafrica.com