World population growth rate continues to plunge
Executive Intelligence Review, Sept. 11, 1998, pp. 34-35

The rate of world population growth fell again in the past year, according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, and the decline of growth rate again accelerated, for the 20th consecutive year.

The Census Bureau figures, covering 157 countries or island groups and many other islands, principalities, and territories, show that 30 of the 157 countries have falling populations. A year ago, there were 17 such nations. Of the 30 with declining populations, 16 are in western, central, or eastern Europe; 7 are in Africa; and 4 in the Middle East. An additional 16 countries are at zero growth, including 5 in Europe.

The overall figures give a mid-1998 world population of approximately 5.925 billion human beings, or about 75 million more than in mid-1997, the lowest increase in more than a decade. As recently as the 1994 Cairo World Population conference, the Worldwatch Institute claimed an increase of 93 million per year, but the actual increase was 82-83 million per year.

The United Nations said in May, that the human race is supposed to reach 6 billion individuals by July 1, 1999. The world growth rate was still 2% per year in the 1980s; 1.7% at the 1992 Rio "Eco 92" summit. It fell to 1.4% by 1997, and now, a yea later, has fallen to 1.3%. By 2000, the "extreme goals" of the Malthusian National Security Study Memorandum 200 and Global 2000 Report--a 1.1% world rate at the end of the century--will be reached or exceeded.

China is an exception: Its population increase, which had fallen to a very low 0.9% annually, has risen sharply to 1.25% per year.