Graph of the Day for January 15, 2010

"What's the better bet? A globalization that exports cheeseburgers and pop songs or a globalization that exports the fiercest aspects of its culture? When it comes to forecasting the future, the birthrate is the nearest thing to hard numbers. If only a million babies are born in 2006, it's hard to have two million adults enter the workforce in 2026 (or 2033, or 2037, or whenever they get around to finishing their Anger Management and Queer Studies degrees). And the hard data on babies around the Western world is that they're running out a lot faster than the oil is. "Replacement" fertility rate--i.e., the number you need for merely a stable population, not getting any bigger, not getting any smaller--is 2.1 babies per woman. Some countries are well above that: the global fertility leader, Somalia, is 6.91, Niger 6.83, Afghanistan 6.78, Yemen 6.75. Notice what those nations have in common?"  Mark Steyn.

Fertility Rates:  Number of children born to women aged 15 to 49


Source:  OECD Factbook.


Hoven's Index for January 15, 2010


Fertility rates of selected countries (2009 estimates):

Niger:  7.75 (highest in world)

Afghanistan:  6.53

Yemen:  6.32

Gaza Strip:  5.03

Sudan:  4.48

Saudi Arabia:  3.83

Pakistan:  3.60

West Bank:  3.22

Israel:  2.75

US:  2.05.

United Kingdom:  1.66

Hong Kong:  1.02.

Macau:  0.91 (lowest in world)


Source:  CIA World Factbook.


Graph of the Day Archive.

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