Population Growth Rate Starting to Decline
The United Nations has announced that the world population growth rate and world fertility are less than they expected for 1995. In 1994, the world population growth rate was predicted to be 1.57 percent a year, and the actual growth rate from 1990 to 1995 was 1.48 percent. Also, they projected that the average number of children per woman would be 3.1, and it was 2.96 from 1990-1995.

The U. N. attributes the decline to increased family planning efforts and increased economic power and social status of women. While the U. N. applauds the United States for leading the world in funding family planning programs abroad, some oppose spending money on international family planning. The opposition states that money is better spent on improving education and the economy in other countries, leading to an increased awareness and lowered fertility rates. The U. N. certainly supports the improvement of education programs in developing countries, but, interestingly, has reported an increase in education following a decrease in family size as a result of family planning.

"World Is Less Crowded Than Expected, the U. N. Reports," by Barbara Crossette, The New York Times, November 17, 1996