Read our latest news stories and blog posts about population matters around the world.
18 September 2018
Tanzanian president: “birth control is for the lazy”
President Magufuli was speaking at a rally when he called on people to ignore advice on using birth control as it was coming from “foreigners with sinister motives”.
Wildlife under threat – UK hedgehog numbers plummet
A recent large-scale hedgehog survey across Britain’s rural areas found an alarmingly low number of animals, bolstering earlier research indicating a steep decline. An iconic animal in the UK, the decline in hedgehog numbers reflects disappearing biodiversity under human pressure.
Egypt’s government has announced welcome plans to curb its rapid population growth. Meanwhile, South Korea is adopting policies to increase its birth rate.
The Chinese government may be steering away from its two-child policy amid concerns over the economic effects of a shrinking birth rate. These rumours were sparked by a social media post from China’s state-run Procuratorate Daily.
Population growth puts green belts under housing pressure
A new report by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) published earlier this month revealed that under current council policies, 460,000 new homes could be built on ‘green belt’ land in the UK, with 35,000 proposals submitted last year.
On World Population Day 2018, Population Matters took to the streets of London with a truck-mounted mobile digital display of the “population clock” – global population growth live.
Last November, 15,000 scientists urged governments to act to avoid what they bluntly called “widespread misery and catastrophic biodiversity loss” identifying population growth as a “primary driver”.
According to a national YouGov poll commissioned by Population Matters, 74% of UK adults believe the government should have a national strategy for addressing population.
Population and family size – tapping into the zeitgeist?
The past few months have seen an unprecedented level of attention on population and family size in the media. With articles in The Times, the Washington Post, the New York Times, The Guardian, the BBC, and many other outlets, could it be that this long-neglected issue is finally getting the attention it deserves?
One-in-five UK mammals facing extinction – urgent action now
A recent study has found that one in five mammals in the UK face extinction. Climate change, loss of habitat, use of pesticides and disease were identified as main factors. PM patron Chris Packham has warned that the UK faces “an ecological apocalypse” – but one we can fix.
Three million more in 10 years. Is England’s growth sustainable?
The population of England is expected to grow by three million people by 2026, according to the latest release from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The population of every region in England is also projected to increase by mid-2026, with London set to grow fastest.
Our new patron: a “vegan hippy chick in a race car”
US racing car driver Leilani Münter has become Population Matters’ newest patron. Combining her career driving very fast cars with untiring environmental activism, Leilani is a passionate supporter of the population cause.
Ending child marriage “morally right, economically smart”
A new report examining the impact of child marriage in Ethiopia has highlighted the many devastating impacts it has on individuals and society. More than one-in-three girls are married below the age of 18 in Ethiopia.
Population growth – Global South leaders speak out
Leaders from the Global South speak out about the implications of population growth. Recent reports have indicated rising concern among politicians, experts, and UN officials in the developing world.
The announcement of the pregnancy of the Duchess of Cambridge last year was greeted with criticism, as well as congratulations. Population Matters offered our own comment in the national media.
Population “Factfulness” – where Hans Rosling goes wrong
At Population Matters we commend Hans Rosling as a brilliant communicator and a person dedicated to improving the lives of people across the world. In that spirit, we offer the following facts, which run counter to Prof Rosling’s popular but shakily founded position that population isn’t a problem and future population growth will effectively sort itself out.
British diver Rich Horner captured film of himself swimming through plastic pollution. Long deeply concerned about the environment and population,he contacted PM to let us know he is a supporter and to offer us use of the video to spread the population message.
Empowering women and melted ice: PM conference 2018
On Saturday, Population Matters’s 2018 conference, Climate change and Us: more feet, more heat? took place in London. Hundreds of people turned up. Our international panel covered a wide range of topics, including the effects of climate change, its impacts on food supply, the challenges of empowering women and the future paths of population and emissions.
