Region: Latin America

Population and Economic Development 2012 Data Sheet
PRB's Population and Economic Development 2012 Data Sheet, with 21 indicators from 140 low- and middle-income countries, presents a complex picture of countries still struggling with economic challenges and inequalities, while others are making significant headway. Though there are fewer low-income countries in 2012 than there were in 2000, those that have graduated into middle-income status continue to battle persistent poverty and sharp variations in inequalities. A number of countries, regardless of income level, are making strides to meet these challenges. (March 2012)

Rural Migrant Remittances May Protect Forests
Sprawling urban areas most obviously demonstrate the environmental impact of migration. Water scarcity, pollution, and lack of adequate housing are some of the more evident impacts of urban population growth. But migration also affects the environment of the communities from which the migrants come, and the effects may actually protect forests. (February 2012)

Webinar Presentation on 2011 World Population Data Sheet
In this webinar recorded on July 28, 2011, PRB demographers Carl Haub, James Gribble, and Linda Jacobsen present key findings from the 2011 World Population Data Sheet that illustrate just how stark the contrasts are between rich and poor countries, and the implications of a world of 7 billion people. Focus countries include Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Uganda, and the United States. A question and answer session follows their presentations. (August 2011)

The World at 7 Billion - Interactive Map
Which countries will grow the most by 2050? Where is infant mortality highest? How does contraceptive prevalence vary worldwide? Find the answers in PRB’s interactive map. Browse through 17 indicators organized in six tabs, ranging from life expectancy, HIV/AIDS, family planning, poverty, and more. View data on global, regional, or country maps or tables. You can easily embed the map on your blog or website.

2011 World Population Data Sheet
Global population will reach 7 billion later in 2011, just 12 years after reaching 6 billion in 1999. Today's world population is double the population in 1967. But while the overall growth rate has slowed, the population is still growing, and growth rates in some countries show little if any decline. The Population Reference Bureau's 2011 World Population Data Sheet and its summary report offer up-to-date demographic, health, and environment data on 18 population, health, and environment indicators for more than 200 countries. (July 2011)

Population Bulletin: The World at 7 Billion
This Population Bulletin looks at the four phases of the demographic transition as descriptive of past and future population growth. We highlight four countries to illustrate each phase and its implications for human well-being: Uganda (high birth rate, fluctuating death rate); Guatemala (declining birth and death rates); India (approaching replacement-level fertility); and Germany (low or very low birth and death rates). (July 2011)

Guatemala: Beyond the Early Phase of the Demographic Transition
This Population Bulletin looks at the four phases of the demographic transition as descriptive of past and future population growth. We highlight four countries to illustrate each phase and its implications for human well-being: Uganda (high birth rate, fluctuating death rate); Guatemala (declining birth and death rates); India (approaching replacement-level fertility); and Germany (low or very low birth and death rates). As a lower middle-income country, Guatemala is well-advanced in its demographic transition, showing evidence of recent reductions in its birth rate. (July 2011)

Many Peruvians Rely on Traditional Family Planning Methods
Peruvian women are having fewer children and waiting longer between pregnancies, many by using traditional family planning methods. The 2009 results from an ongoing Demographic and Health Survey show that Peru's average fertility has fallen from 3.5 children per woman in 1996 to 2.6 children per woman. And, women were having children about four years apart in 2009, a one-year-longer gap than in 2000. These longer birth intervals often translate into healthier mothers and children and a smaller family size. (November 2010)

A Microfinance Network Fights Malnutrition in Haiti
Haiti's largest microfinance organization, Fonkoze, provides a range of financial services to the rural-based poor. Fonkoze's network of branches and women coordinators of borrowers are a platform that connects clients with health services for their malnourished children. The women's groups that have developed are the leading edge in a new campaign to combat malnutrition. (October 2010)

El Salvador Survey Shows Lower Fertility, Increased Contraceptive Use
Women of childbearing age in El Salvador are having fewer children and using more family planning, with a recent increase in the use of injectable contraceptives. A 2008 family planning survey by the El Salvador Ministry of Health found that fertility dropped 60 percent in the last 30 years, from 6.3 lifetime births per woman in the mid-1970s to 2.5 in the 2003-2008 period. The recent survey shows not only an impressive narrowing in the fertility differences among rich and poor, urban and rural, but also a much greater acceptance of temporary methods of birth control. (October 2010)