News | Population Matters

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.

Africa population Asia population Biodiversity Development Environment Food & water World population

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.

Africa population Asia population Development Family planning UK population Women's rights World population

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.

Africa population Asia population Development Family planning Women's rights World population

The ‘blue acceleration’: ocean plunder in the Anthropocene

17 February 2020

A new study highlights the rapidly increasing pressure on the world’s oceans as a result of human population growth and burgeoning demand for resources.

Biodiversity Climate Economics Environment World population

Which European countries spend the most on global family planning?

4 February 2020

A new report shows that Europe spent a total of 845 million Euros on global sexual and reproductive health and family planning in 2018 – an overall increase of 5% compared to 2017. Most countries either increased or maintained their funding levels, yet major shortfalls and political barriers remain.

Development Economics Family planning Women's rights World population

Wildlife habitat crumbling under weight of human footprint

24 January 2020

A new study shows that the majority of wildlife ranges are now under intense human pressure due to population growth and changes in the use of the land.

Biodiversity Environment World population

Chris Packham: we need to talk about population

17 January 2020

In a landmark and powerful documentary on the BBC, Population Matters patron Chris Packham looked at the challenges of population growth, and made an impassioned plea for it to become a core part of environmental debate.

Africa population Biodiversity Climate Development Environment Families Family planning Women's rights World population

Here's why 2020 could be a ‘super-year’ for nature

10 January 2020

Despite the climate and biodiversity crises continuing to escalate, environmentalists are calling 2020 a ‘super-year’ for nature because of several upcoming international policy meetings that have the potential to set nature on a path to recovery. Population Matters is actively campaigning to ensure population solutions are recognised and implemented.

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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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Larger population, larger people: humanity will require 80% more food by 2100

11 December 2019

A new study shows that increases in average human height and weight, alongside population growth, could cause global food demand to soar.

Africa population Development Food & water World population

Big Baby calls for small families to cut CO2

Big Baby climate change event Parliament quare

3 December 2019

With the critical COP25 climate change meeting opening in Madrid, Population Matters' 7m-high Big Baby brought a critical message to Westminster on Friday: cutting population growth through choosing smaller families is vital to fight climate change.

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Unmet needs: conversations with the women left behind

28 November 2019

Population Matters' Director, Robin Maynard, summarises events at this month's Nairobi Summit on ICPD25, and recounts his experience of meeting young women and their families in Africa's largest slum and surrounding rural communities.

Africa population Development Environment Family planning Women's rights World population

70 is the new 65: a new way of looking at population ageing

19 November 2019

A new analysis by the UK Office for National Statistics shows that estimating the number of life years remaining, rather than counting the years lived, could be a better way of measuring ageing and its implications for society.

Economics UK population

Time to talk population again

11 November 2019

This week, representatives from Population Matters will attend one of the most significant global meetings on population and development in recent years, the Nairobi Summit on ICPD 25. They will be taking the message that securing sustainable population is an essential goal and that failure to recognise this has led to the promised benefits for people and the environment being delivered too little, too late.

Development Environment Family planning Women's rights World population

11,000 scientists call for population action to prevent catastrophic climate impacts

8 November 2019

The Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency, signed by more than 11,000 scientists from around the world, warns of “untold human suffering” unless governments take urgent action to tackle the climate crisis, including ending and reversing population growth.

Climate Environment World population

Cracking knuckles and counting kids

4 November 2019

Population Matters’ Campaigns and Projects Officer, Florence Blondel, reflects on her family life in Uganda, and what it tells us about population growth in her home country, and across much of Africa. She also identifies some positive changes coming.

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Organic agriculture could increase climate emissions without changes in population and diet

25 October 2019

A new study shows that converting all farmland in England and Wales to organic agriculture could increase greenhouse gas emissions because meeting the food demands of the UK population would require using more land abroad.

Climate Environment Food & water UK population

Scientists call for improving contraceptive use to fight climate change

16 October 2019

A new commentary article published in BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health urges wide-scale adoption of policies that increase the use of modern contraception as part of global efforts to reduce climate emissions.

Climate Environment Family planning World population

High population density hurts child health, study finds

8 October 2019

A continent-wide analysis of how different development factors affect the health of children in Africa found that child health is worst in countries with high population densities.

Africa population Environment Family planning

UK biodiversity report: more of us, less of them

4 October 2019

The latest edition of the most authoritative report on biodiversity in the UK has just been released - State of Nature 2019. The 2016 version described the UK as "one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world". This new edition makes clear there has been no improvement - and shows some of the impacts of human population growth.

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