Yemen’s Population Expect to Rise to 61 Million by 2035
A nice solid report from the Yemen Times.
SANA’A, July 20 — The population of Yemen has multiplied five times in the last 54 years, and is predicted to triple again by 2035, according to the Health and Population Committee of the Yemeni Parliament.
The committee produced a report which was discussed earlier this month on the occasion of World Population Day, July 11, highlighting the dangers of rapid population growth in Yemen.
The report predicts that by year 2035 the country’s current 23 million inhabitants will have increased to at least 61 million, almost triple the size today. Yemen’s population growth rate is 3.7 while its fertility rate which is the average number of children for every Yemeni woman during her life time is 6.1.
Moreover, the infant mortality rate in the country is also considered one of the highest in the world at 53 deaths per every 1000 live births according to UNICEF’s 2008 statistics. Child mortality for children below five is also high at 69 deaths for every 1000 live births. The report also indicated that maternal mortality is quite high in Yemen as 365 mothers die while giving birth in every 100 thousand live births.
These high morality rates are in large part caused by frequent deliveries without much time between pregnancies. This is also the main factor behind the high population growth Yemen is suffering from.
“We have to consider the balance between demands and resources. Having so many children – especially since half of Yemenis are in the unproductive age of under 16 – we are going to have a huge shortage of resources and poverty will increase,” said a member of the committee behind the report.
Currently, the dependency ratio – which is the ratio of how many people are supported financially per every single income generator – is 1:4. With the increasing population rate, according to the Central Statistical Organization, this dependency ratio will double.
“We need accurate statistics to be able to put down efficient strategies in order to deal with this population challenge. One of the greatest difficulties we are facing is that that Yemen’s increasing population is dispersed in so many different settlements that makes service provision very difficult,” said Dr. Jamila Al-Ra’ebi, Deputy Health Minister for the Population Sector.
According to the National Population Information, Education and Communication Strategy (2005-2010) prepared by the National Population Council, Yemen’s population is scattered over more than 11,000 urban and rural settlements, with only 25 percent in urban areas. Population density for the country as a whole is 30 persons per square kilometer.
