Changing population rates, policies and attitudes in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

This paper explores the relationship between population growth rates, government policies, and social attitudes in 3 regions: Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. The comparative success of family planning programs in certain countries of South Asia (most notably India and Sri Lanka) can be partly ascribed to their long tradition of government leadership. In addition, families in those countries have strong incentives to educate their children. On the other hand, in North Africa and the Middle East, high levels of urbanization have had antinatalist effects, which are offset by very low levels of girls' schooling and of female employment outside the home. In Sub-Saharan Africa, high fertility is sustained by the structure of the family, with its tendency to separate reproductive decision-making from responsibility for child-rearing. In addition, governments there have had a comparatively weaker tradition in areas such as family behavior.