News | Population Matters

Indian policy risks return to the dark ages of population ‘control’

19 July 2021

On World Population Day, 11 July, the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh released a worrying new draft population policy that would include incentives for sterilisation and punishment for couples who have more than two children, echoing aspects of India’s unethical population control history.

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China's changing child policy: what does it mean?

1 June 2021

China's panic over the consequences of a falling birth rate is typical of growing concerns across the world. Its response - moving its family size limit from one to two to three children - is typical of the Chinese government in mixing apparent liberalisation with intrusive state control. Our Head of Campaigns, Alistair Currie, looks at the policy and the drivers behind it, and asks what it can it tell us about shifting demographics and how governments respond.

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Women’s rights key to slowing population growth - A message to world leaders

8 March 2021

On International Women’s Day, Dr. Yasmeen Sabeeh Qazi, Senior Advocacy Advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, explains why empowering women and girls is key to accelerating sustainable development in her country, Pakistan, and globally, and calls on world leaders to invest in the advancement of women's rights.

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The impact of COVID-19 on women’s reproductive health in India: Safeguarding women’s rights

21 September 2020

In this guest blog post marking International Safe Abortion Day, Sanghamitra Singh of the Population Foundation of India examines the impact of the pandemic on women's rights and sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion services, in India.

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Investing in contraception would save billions of dollars

Senegalese woman learning about modern contraceptives

10 August 2020

A new report estimates that fulfilling the unmet need for modern contraception in developing countries would save $16 billion a year in maternal healthcare by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies.

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Human-caused mass extinction still accelerating

9 June 2020

A new analysis shows the sixth mass extinction is accelerating, with more than 500 vertebrate species at risk of becoming extinct in less than 20 years – as many as were lost over the entire course of the last century.

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How much would it cost to end the worst gender inequalities?

29 May 2020

A new UN report summarises last year's Nairobi Summit on ICPD25, which aimed to boost global progress on women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health. One key outcome of the meeting was its revelation that ending maternal deaths, gender-based violence and unmet family planning needs is affordable and within reach, but desperately needs more funding.

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Millions of women have no say over what happens to their bodies

3 April 2020

Almost half of women in 57 low- to middle-income countries have no decision-making power regarding their health, contraceptive use and sex lives, according to a new UN report.

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Population growth and environmental destruction fuel deadly diseases

13 March 2020

Our growing population and resulting overexploitation of nature are facilitating the emergence and spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19.

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UN report: World still largely hostile to girls

5 March 2020

Despite some progress over the past 25 years, girls under age 18 around the world continue to face unacceptable discrimination and violence driven by deeply entrenched gender inequality, according to a new report.

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Family planning services still falling behind population growth

27 February 2020

According to a new study, the number of women of reproductive age who wish to avoid pregnancy but who are not using any modern form of birth control is currently around 270 million and may remain this high in 2030 due to rapid population growth and slow progress in improving access.

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2019 Year in Review

Robin Maynard and Lagos media, World Population Day 2019

23 December 2019

PM director Robin Maynard reviews a successful year for Population Matters, but one which brought much bad news about the planet.

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US and China's population growth at new low

7 January 2019

Population growth rates in the US and China are now at 0.6% and 0.4%, respectively. Whilst both countries achieved similar results with very different measures, a lower number of people being added every year is a welcome development on our overstretched planet.

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Egypt seeks fewer babies: South Korea wants more

7 September 2018

Egypt’s government has announced welcome plans to curb its rapid population growth. Meanwhile, South Korea is adopting policies to increase its birth rate.

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China may move to end two-child policy

30 August 2018

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.

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18 million Chinese babies since end of one child policy

24 January 2017

The Chinese government has released figures for births in 2016, the first full year since the end of the country’s one child policy. The 18m number is 7.9% above the number in 2015. According to a senior Chinese official, “the family planning policy adjustments were extremely timely and extremely effective”.

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Panic and pragmatism: population in Korea and Japan

9 December 2016

South Korea’s official statistics agency has just announced that it expects the country’s population to shrink by 8 million over the next 50 years. Currently around 50 million, the agency projects that the population will peak at 52.96 million in 2031 and then gradually decline to 43 million in 2065.

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