Even Guyana prepares to undertake its population and housing census next year the world’s population yesterday reached its seven billionth mark.
These announcements among other global demographic statistics were made as the United Nations Population Fund in collaboration with the Guyana Bureau of Statistics launched the State of the World Population Report at the Georgetown Club, Camp Street under the theme ‘People and Possibili-ties in a World of 7 Billion’.
Chief Statistician of the Bureau of Statistics, Lennox Benjamin, informed attendees at the launch that by mid next year census documentation will begin in Guyana since local demographers recognize it is the most important instrument for identifying and measuring population and other important socio economic trends of a country.
Population censuses are usually carried out every ten years. Benjamin further went on to state that Guyana and Suriname are the only two countries left to undertake population and housing statistics but both countries had stated readiness of completion by mid next year. He said “The national census continues to be the predominant tool for the monitoring of a country’s changes in population… It is an evaluation of the quality of life of people in every country. Guyana and Suriname are the two countries of Caricom left to conduct their censuses for the present 2010 round and both have targeted approximately mid-next year to execute.”
The last population census conducted in 2002 reported that at that time Guyana’s population was approximately 750,000. Next year’s census will therefore provide citizens with a more concrete figure of positive or negative population, migration and socio economic trends.
Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh, who was charg-ed with officially launching the report, described the enormous rise in the number of youths globally as a new “power people who can reshape the world”. He also stated that as the report gives a whopping seven billion people figure it also reflects that people are living longer and leaders should therefore endeavour to reduce poverty and empower women as these two important factors will aid in the economic mobility of any nation.
Singh, in reference to the previous censuses carried out in Guyana, noted that with longer lives comes the need for policy makers to design and implement strategies to cater for rapid growth. Said Singh, “percentage grew from 8.2 per cent to 9.4 per cent over the ’91 to 2002 period and we saw it too when we look at the percentage of the population below 19 years of age, that percentage moved from 46.3 to 44.4 over the 1991 to 2002 period.”
“How we meet, as a global community, the development needs and aspirations of the seven billion who populate our world today and indeed the eight billion who will populate our world in 13 or 14 years is a serious question,” he added.
He further highlighted possible challenges for sustainability given the current trend. These possible challenges, he said, government was prepared to deal with and measures are currently being put in place for those future obstacles like food shortages medical care for the elderly among others. “Whether it be implications for our healthcare system, whether it be implications for national insurance and taking care of those who are aging, whether it be implications as it relates to special programmes for the elderly, I’m happy to say that … we are as a government extremely attentive to the policy implications of these population changes,” he added.
Earlier, in her opening remarks UNFPA assistant representative Patrice La Fleur stated that while the organization was pleased to present the report that the world had reached it seven billion mark, there are still major setbacks which need to be addressed. She said that for example, the gap between the wealthy and the poor continues to grow and can have major implications for the global society. In addition with more persons, when compared to a few decades ago, food insecurity due to changing global climates was a real possibility. Countries will face more unpredictable weather patterns, many times not prepared for.
While the report gives a global numerical total of persons it focuses on nine countries China Egypt Ethiopia Finland India Mexico Mozambique Nigeria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. It is divided into eight components ranging from analyzing how youths are reshaping the world to sharing and sustaining earth’s resources.
