from the period 1965 - 1970 to the period 1985 - 1990 the population growth is expanding and for the period of 2010 - 2015, an annual population growth of approximately 87 million is projected. This situation is as if a little less than the present population of Mexico is added each year. This effect is called population momentum. This means that even though both birth rate and growth rate are declining in developing region, the total number of population is still growing. Moreover, the population is a typically pyramid-shaped and the number of women who are at the reproductive age is great. Hence, even if the fertility and growth rate are lessened, the number of new-born babies is greater than ever before. However, the effect of population momentum will start to weaken by the year 2015 and by the middle of 21st century, the annual number of growth is projected to be a half of that of present time.
3. Population Explosion in Developing Region and Efforts for its Stabilization
Speaking of population problems in Japan, it is expected that such problems as ageing population, decreasing number of children, and a population decline of the 21st century will come up. However, by looking at the whole world, the world population, especially the exploding population growth of developing regions which lead to increase poverty and environmental degradation, is a far greater problem on the global scale. The unprecedented drop in the birth rate and the expanding older population in advanced regions are serious problems by themselves. Yet this should be considered to be a rather minor problem compared to the situation in which every year almost 90 million people are added increasing the burden on the capacity of the earth. (By the way, in the future in China and India, as results of the birth rate dropping, problems of an expanding older population could possibly be serious, but if it happens it will come much later in India.) Moreover, the facts indicate the seriousness of the matter that 95% of the world population growth is taking place in poor, developing regions.
