The data used to compile the DataFinder database are from several Population Reference Bureau data sheets: the 2007 World Population Data Sheet; the 2006 World Population Data Sheet; Family Planning Worldwide; Making the Link: Population, Health, Environment; The World's Youth 2006; and 2005 Women of Our World. Data sources and definitions of terms used in these publications are listed below.

2007 World Population Data Sheet

Notes

The 2007 World Population Data Sheet lists all geopolitical entities with populations of 150,000 or more and all members of the United Nations. These include sovereign states, dependencies, overseas departments, and some territories whose status or boundaries may be undetermined or in dispute. More developed regions, following the UN classification, comprise all of Europe and North America, plus Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. All other regions and countries are classified as less developed.

World and Regional Totals: Regional population totals are independently rounded and include small countries or areas not shown. Regional and world rates and percentages are weighted averages of countries for which data are available; regional averages are shown when data or estimates are available for at least three-quarters of the region's population.

World Population Data Sheets from different years should not be used as a time series. Fluctuations in values from year to year often reflect revisions based on new data or estimates rather than actual changes in levels. Additional information on likely trends and consistent time series can be obtained from PRB, and are also available in UN and U.S. Census Bureau publications.

Sources

The rates and figures are primarily compiled from the following sources: official country statistical yearbooks and bulletins; United Nations Demographic Yearbook, 2003 of the UN Statistics Division; World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision of the UN Population Division; Recent Demographic Developments in Europe, 2005 of the Council of Europe; and the data files and library resources of the International Programs Center, U.S. Census Bureau. Other sources include recent demographic surveys such as the Demographic and Health Surveys, Reproductive Health Surveys, special studies, and direct communication with demographers and statistical bureaus in the United States and abroad. For countries with complete registration of births and deaths, rates are those most recently reported. For more developed countries, nearly all vital rates refer to 2005 or 2006. Specific data sources may be obtained by contacting the author of the 2007 World Population Data Sheet.

Definitions

Mid-2007 Population. Estimates are based on a recent census, official national data, or UN and U.S. Census Bureau projections. The effects of refugee movements, large numbers of foreign workers, and population shifts due to contemporary political events are taken into account to the extent possible.

Birth and Death Rate. The annual number of births and deaths per 1,000 total population. These rates are often referred to as "crude rates" since they do not take a population's age structure into account. Thus, crude death rates in more developed countries, with a relatively large proportion of high-mortality older population, are often higher than those in less developed countries with lower life expectancy.

Rate of Natural Increase (RNI). The birth rate minus the death rate, implying the annual rate of population growth without regard for migration. Expressed as a percentage.

Net Migration. The estimated rate of net immigration (immigration minus emigration) per 1,000 population for a recent year based upon the official national rate or derived as a residual from estimated birth, death, and population growth rates. Migration rates can vary substantially from year to year for any particular country.

Projected Population 2025 and 2050. Projected populations based upon reasonable assumptions on the future course of fertility, mortality, and migration. Projections are based upon official country projections, series issued by the UN or the U.S. Census Bureau, or PRB projections.

Infant Mortality Rate. The annual number of deaths of infants under age 1 per 1,000 live births. Rates shown with decimals indicate national statistics reported as completely registered, while those without are estimates from the sources cited above. Rates shown in italics are based upon fewer than 50 annual infant deaths and, as a result, are subject to considerable yearly variability.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR). The average number of children a woman would have assuming that current age-specific birth rates remain constant throughout her childbearing years (usually considered to be ages 15 to 49).

Population Under Age 15/Age 65+. The percentage of the total population in these ages, which are often considered the "dependent ages."

Life Expectancy at Birth. The average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live under current mortality levels.

Percent Urban. Percentage of the total population living in areas termed "urban" by that country. Typically, the population living in towns of 2,000 or more or in national and provincial capitals is classified "urban."

Percent of Adult Population Ages 15 to 49 With HIV/AIDS. The estimated percentage of adults living with HIV/AIDS in 2005/2006. Data are from UNAIDS' 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic and recent Demographic and Health Surveys.

Contraceptive Use. The percentage of currently married or "in-union" women of reproductive age who are currently using any form of contraception. "Modern" methods include clinic and supply methods such as the pill, IUD, condom, and sterilization. Data are from the most recent available national-level surveys, such as the Demographic and Health Surveys, Reproductive Health Survey programs, and the UN Population Division World Contraceptive Use 2005. Other sources include direct communication with national statistical organizations and the databases of the UN Population Division and the U.S. Census Bureau. Data refer to some point in the 1990s and early 2000s. Data prior to 2000 are shown in italics.

GNI PPP per Capita, 2006 (US$). GNI PPP per capita is gross national income in purchasing power parity (PPP) divided by midyear population. GNI PPP refers to gross national income converted to "international" dollars using a purchasing power parity conversion factor. International dollars indicate the amount of goods and services one could buy in the United States with a given amount of money. Data are from the World Bank. Figures in italics are for 2004 or 2005.

Percent of Children Under 5 Who Are Underweight. The share of children under age 5 whose weight is 2 or more standard deviations below the median weight for their particular age, according to the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards. Source: World Health Organization Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition, accessed online at www.who.int/nutgrowthdb/database/en/, on June 27, 2007, and supplemental data from national surveys.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita. The amount of carbon dioxide, in metric tons, produced or emitted per person in a country or region. (A metric ton is equivalent to 1,000 kilograms.) The data shown here include all carbon dioxide produced through the combustion of solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels, or through the manufacturing of cement. Emissions produced through land use conversion or from bunker fuels used in international transportation are not included. Source: World Resources Institute, EarthTrends database, accessed online at www.earthtrends.wri.org, on June 27, 2007.

Percent of Natural Habitat Remaining. The share of the land area in a country or region that has not been converted to human use. Land converted to human use includes land devoted to agriculture, roads, railroads, cities, and towns. Although the data shown
here indicate the amount of habitat remaining, they do not represent actual biodiversity. Many large areas of remaining natural land nonetheless have been stripped of all animal wildlife. Source: Michael D. Jennings, Gross Amount of Habitat Lost by Country (Moscow, Idaho: The Nature Conservancy, 2007).

2006 World Population Data Sheet

Sources

The rates and figures are primarily compiled from the following sources: official country statistical yearbooks and bulletins; United Nations Demographic Yearbook, 2001 of the UN Statistics Division; World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision of the UN Population Division; the UN Statistical Library; Recent Demographic Developments in Europe, 2004 of the Council of Europe; Country, Regional and Global Estimates on Water and Sanitation of UNICEF and World Health Organization; World Database on Protected Areas of UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center; and the data files and library resources of the International Programs Center, U.S. Census Bureau. Other sources include recent demographic surveys such as the Demographic and Health Surveys, Reproductive Health Surveys, special studies, and direct communication with demographers and statistical bureaus in the United States and abroad. Specific data sources may be obtained by contacting the author of the 2006 World Population Data Sheet.

Definitions

Population With Access to Improved Sanitation (%). The percentage of the population using improved sanitation facilities. Improved facilities are those more likely to ensure privacy and hygienic use. Improved facilities include connection to a public sewer, connection to a septic system, pour-flush latrines, simple pit latrines, and/or ventilated improved pit latrines. Unimproved facilities include public or shared latrines, open pit latrines, or bucket latrines. (Note from the 2006 World Population Data Sheet.)

Family Planning Worldwide: 2002 Data Sheet

World and regional averages are estimates and are generally shown for regions in which 75 percent of the population was covered by surveys. In some cases, assumptions on the level of contraceptive use for a country were used to produce approximate regional averages.

Totals for "All Methods," "Modern Methods," and "Traditional Methods" may not add up to 100, due to rounding, omitted details on specific methods in some surveys, or use of multiple methods.

Public sources of modern methods include government hospitals and clinics. Private medical sources include private hospitals, pharmacies, and doctors and nongovernmental organizations. "Other" private sources include shops and kiosks.

Less developed countries, as defined by the United Nations, comprise those of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania (excluding Australia, Japan, and New Zealand). All other countries are classified as more developed. Sub-Saharan Africa includes all African countries except Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.

The average year of the surveys on the data sheet is 1997.

Countries included were those that had a reproductive health survey from 1990 to 2002 and in which use by contraceptive method was published. It should be noted that countries often use different definitions of contraceptive methods, classify methods in different ways, omit statistics on some methods, or include data on multiple method use only. Data are shown for currently married women, including those in informal unions. Every effort has been made to ensure data comparability wherever possible.

Data sources included Demographic and Health Surveys (ORC Macro and national statistical offices), Reproductive Health Surveys (Centers for Disease Control), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (UNICEF), Pan-Arab Maternal and Child Health Surveys (PAPCHILD), Gulf Fertility Surveys, Fertility and Family Surveys (ECE), national surveys, and the data files of the United Nations Population Division, the World Bank, and the International Programs Center of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Making the Link: Population, Health, Environment

GNI PPP per Capita. Gross national income in purchasing power parity (PPP), divided by midyear population. GNI PPP refers to gross national income converted to "international" dollars using a purchasing power parity conversion factor. International dollars indicate the amount of goods and services a given amount of money could buy in the United States (World Bank, World Development Indicators 2002).

CO₂ Emissions per Capita. Emissions measured in metric tons and divided by total population. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is released into the atmosphere when solid waste, fuels, oil, natural gas, coal, wood, and wood products are burned, and during the manufacture of cement (Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, as cited by the World Bank, World Development Indicators 2001 and 2002).

Number of Vehicles per 1,000 People. Includes cars, mopeds, motorcycles, buses, and freight vehicles. Population figures refer to the midyear population in the year for which data are available (World Bank, World Development Indicators 2001 and 2002).

Commercial Energy Use per Capita. Energy use is presented in a common unit of kilogram of oil equivalent per person. In addition to solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels and nuclear electricity, the total also includes hydropower; geothermal and solar power; combustible renewables; and energy from waste. Use per capita shows the amount of energy consumed within the country equal to domestic production (plus imports and minus exports) per person (International Energy Agency, as cited by the World Bank, World Development Indicators 2002).

Percent of Population Using Improved Water Sources. Refers to sources of water that have been intentionally upgraded for human consumption. Data are based on household surveys rather than government data (World Health Organization et al., Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment: 2000 Report).

Percent of Population Using Adequate Sanitation Facilities. Includes pour-flush latrines and connections to a public sewer. Data based on household surveys rather than government data (World Health Organization et al., Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment: 2000 Report).

Change in Forest Cover, 1990-2000. Change in number of hectares of forest cover between 1990 and 2000, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Forest Resources Assessment 2000 project. Data for 1990 have been adjusted by FAO to be comparable to 2000 data, and account for changes in definitions and estimation techniques. Forest cover includes natural forest and forest plantations (FAO, State of the World's Forests 2001).

Number of Threatened and Endangered Species. Includes species that are critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. "Animals" includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, mollusks, and other invertebrates.

Women of Our World 2005

Notes

More developed regions, following the UN classification, comprise all of Europe and North America, plus Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. All other regions and countries are classified as less developed. Sub-Saharan Africa includes all countries of Africa except the northern African countries of Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Sources

Population Reference Bureau, 2004 World Population Data Sheet; UN, World Population Prospects: The 2002 Revision; Demographic and Health Surveys; WHO, Department of Reproductive Health, Proportion of Births Attended by Skilled Health Personnel: 2004 Global Estimates; WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA, Maternal Mortality in 2000; Center for Reproductive Rights, World’s Abortion Laws June 2004; UNAIDS, 2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic; UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Database; UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2003/4; UNESCO Statistical Yearbook 1996; International Labour Organization, LABORSTA Database; UN Statistics Division, Millennium Indicators Database; Inter-Parliamentary Union, Women in Parliaments: 1945-1995; Inter-Parliamentary Union, Women in National Parliaments as of October 30, 2004.

Definitions

Lifetime Births per Woman (TFR). The total fertility rate, defined as the number of children a woman would have if current age-specific fertility rates remain constant throughout her childbearing years.

Percent of Women Ages 15-19 Giving Birth in One Year. Births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (the age-specific fertility rate), divided by 10.

Contraceptive Use. The percentage of married or "in-union" women ages 15-49 who are currently using contraception. "Any method" includes modern and traditional methods. "Modern" methods include clinic and supply methods such as the pill, injectables, implants, IUD, condom, and sterilization.

Percent of Births Attended by Skilled Personnel. Skilled personnel include doctors, nurses, and midwives.

Maternal Deaths per 100,000 Live Births. Also known as the maternal mortality ratio, the number of deaths to women per 100,000 live births that result from conditions related to pregnancy, delivery, and related complications.

Lifetime Chance of Dying From Maternal Causes. The probability that a woman will die during her lifetime from causes related to pregnancy and delivery. The measure combines the probability of becoming pregnant and the risk of death from each pregnancy (as measured by the 2000 maternal mortality ratio).

Percent Literate Ages 15-24. Also known as the youth literacy rate. UNESCO defines literacy as a person who can, with understanding, both read and write a short simple statement on his or her everyday life.

Percent Enrolled in Secondary School. The ratio of the number of students enrolled in secondary school to the population in the applicable age group (such as ages 12 to 17) for the country (gross enrollment ratio). It can exceed 100 when the number of students currently enrolled exceeds the population of the relevant age group. Female Secondary School Enrollment as Percent of Male Enrollment: The ratio of the female enrollment rate to the male enrollment rate for secondary school.

Percent Economically Active Ages 15+. The proportion of the population over age 15 that is classified as either employed or unemployed, i.e., all those who supply labor or are available to supply labor. Classifications can vary by country.

Women as Percent of Nonfarm Wage Earners. Women’s paid employment in nonagricultural sectors (i.e., industry or services) as a percentage of total nonagricultural employees.

Women as Percent of Parliament. The percentage of seats in the single or lower chamber of the national parliament that are held by women.

The World's Youth 2006

The World's Youth 2006 data sheet lists all countries with populations of 500,000 or more. World and regional weighted averages are shown when data or estimates are available for at least two-thirds of the region's population. For population columns, world and regional totals include small countries not shown. The figures shown represent the most recent data or estimates available at the time of publication, unless otherwise stated. Major sources are the 2005 World Population Data Sheet; United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision; UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Database; International Labour Organization, LABORSTA Database; UN Statistics Division, Statistics and Indicators on Women and Men (Database); UN Statistics Division, Millennium Indicators Database; Demographic and Health Surveys (ORC Macro); Global Youth Tobacco Survey (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Reproductive Health Surveys (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys (UNICEF); MEASURE DHS+, HIV/AIDS Survey Indicators Database; and Pan-Arab Project for Family Health (League of Arab States). Other sources include official country yearbooks, fertility/health surveys, and special studies. Please contact PRB for specific data sources.