In The News

The Challenging Billions

David Bloom August 26, 2011
It took the world centuries to reach 1 billion people in 1800, and 6 billion more have been added since. Technological changes that provided jobs for billions and supported families are not so fast paced, notes David Bloom, a Harvard professor, in an essay for Project Syndicate: “A failure to absorb large numbers of people into productive employment could lead to mass suffering and myriad...

How African Is the Arab Revolution?

Khaled Diab April 7, 2011
Kenyans closely follow news of the revolts in North Africa, reports journalist Khaled Diab in an essay for the Mail & Guardian, and some question if the unrest could spread to sub-Saharan Africa. Countries across Africa share demographic trends, including masses of young people, high unemployment rates and authoritarian leaders. However, tribal divisions and limits on internet communications...

Libya Exposes Fault Lines in the Mediterranean – Part III

Joseph Chamie March 30, 2011
The United Nations authorized intervention in Libya, as protests continue throughout the Middle East. In a speech on Libya, US President Barack Obama noted, “The change that is taking place across the region is being driven by the people of the region.” In this YaleGlobal article, the third of a four-part series, demographer Joseph Chamie analyzes the region’s young people and their anger about...

China Considers Relaxing One-Child Policy

Tania Branigan March 24, 2011
Human-rights advocates have long railed against China’s one-child policy – and exemptions have gradually been granted to a limited number of families, allowing them two children. Warned about population imbalances and young adults overwhelmed with caring for aging parents without sibling support, officials quietly ponder how to extend a two-child policy gradually for all Chinese. One out of six...

We Have Your Number

Nandan Nilekani January 21, 2011
Trade, technology and other facets of globalization have delivered wealth to India. But distribution of benefits is uneven in the nation of more than 1.1 billion, on track to exceed China as the most populous. The World Bank estimates that more than 35 percent of Indians live below the poverty line, and despite rapid job growth, the informal nature of most work excludes large numbers of poor from...

Asia: Eastern Billions Can Still Join the World

Nandan Nilekani January 5, 2011
With global economic recession, many nations look inward, prioritizing domestic concerns and rejecting globalization. But the inward focus may not last for long, predicts Nandan Nilekani, author and former chief executive of Infosys, writing for Financial Times. India’s and China’s growth, combined with their transition from rural agricultural economies to manufacturing giants, could deliver new...

With Talks Stalemated, Demographics Define Israeli-Palestinian Future

Joseph Chamie October 6, 2010
The basic components for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement are clear. Factions blocking the terms assume that, by holding out, the other side will give up and go away. They stubbornly overlook how ongoing demographic trends could create a new political reality. “Differential rates of population growth already redefine the relative demographic standing of Arab-Israelis, Jewish-Israelis and...