Are Population Pressures Creating a Fertile Ground for Conflict in the Middle East?
As the campaign against terrorism focuses on extreme political and religious expression in many Middle East and North African countries, burgeoning populations and high unemployment, particularly among educated young men, are at least some of the factors gaining attention. (October 2001)

World Population Futures (PDF: 338KB)

 This Population Bulletin explains projection methodology and discusses various approaches for expressing uncertainty. The report concludes with a discussion of what global population projections imply about the kind of world our descendents will inhabit. (BUL56.3, September 2001)

Emerging Trends in Disability
Disability is an ambiguous demographic — affecting anywhere from 13 percent to 20 percent of the population — but one that is unambiguously increasing. Find out why by reading this Population Today article. (Population Today, August/September 2001)

Low Fertility Not Politically Sustainable
While for many countries concerns about high birth rates persist, for many other countries the problem now is very low rates of birth. (Population Today, August/September 2001)

Around the Globe, Women Outlive Men
A color-coded world map makes clear that the gender gap in life expectancy is nearly universal. (Population Today, August/September 2001)

World Population Gap Widens
On World Population Day (July 11, 2001), it is clear that the 21st century belongs to the less developed countries, at least in terms of anticipated population growth. (Population Today, July 2001)

The Rise — and Fall? — of Single-Parent Families
The yearly increases in single-parent families that defined the U.S. landscape for more than 40 years have ended. Over the last five years, the share of children born to unmarried mothers has stabilized, and the share of children living in single-parent families has stabilized and inched downward. (Population Today, July 2001)

First Glimpses From the 2000 Census (PDF: 2.2MB)

 The latest census was full of surprises: The census counted nearly 7 million more people than the U.S. Census Bureau had estimated, and it still may have missed as many as 3 million. And for those minding the budget: The 2000 Census cost less than anticipated. This Population Bulletin looks at some of the major findings of the 2000 Census as of April 2001, and considers the importance of these trends not only to demographers, journalists, business people, and politicians, but to all Americans. (BUL56.2, June 2001)

Dissecting China's 2000 Census
After conducting what was arguably the world's most ambitious census ever last November, the Chinese government has begun to release the results: a population of 1.266 billion last year, under the government's goal of staying below 1.3 billion for 2000. (June 2001)

International Migration Transforms Australia
Immigration since World War II has transformed Australian society and population. Many residents of Australia are immigrants or are the children of immigrants. Between 1945 and 2000, most of Australia's population increase came from immigration. (June 2001)