UNITED NATIONS POPULATION INFORMATION NETWORK (POPIN) UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)

Preface

*************************************************************************

For further information please contact the United Nations Population Fund 

at 220 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 USA or via E-mail: 

vlassoff@unfpa.org

**************************************************************************





              Population Growth and Economic Development

                      Report on the Consultative

                        Meeting of Economists

            Convened by the United Nations Population Fund



                        28-29 September 1992

                               New York



                   United Nations Population Fund



-------------------------------------------------------------------

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS



     The two background papers were researched and drafted by Landis

Mackellar (Recent Developments in Research into the Relationship of

Population Growth and Economic Development) and Rampersaud

Rameshwar (Population Growth and Economic Development: The Policy

Response of Governments).  The Meeting Summary was drafted by Stan

Bernstein and Michael Vlassoff.  We would like to acknowledge the

comments and suggestions regarding these chapters from several

individuals, in particular, Jyoti Singh, Mari Simonen, M.

Nizamuddin and Liliana Frieiro. We would also like to acknowledge the

work of Thomas Merrick, who served as chairman of the Meeting's

working group for drafting the Statement on Population Growth and

Economic Development.  In addition, William A. Ryan prepared the

revised text for publication.  The views expressed herein are not

necessarily those of UNFPA or any of the Member States.



Copyright 1993 by United Nations Population Fund.



Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data applied for.



ISBN 0-89714-187-3



-------------------------------------------------------------------

                              PREFACE



     This report describes the proceedings of the Consultative

Meeting of Economists on the Relationship of Population Growth and

Economic evelopment, convened by the United Nations Population Fund

(UNFPA) from 28-29 September 1992 in New York.  The consultative

meeting, the first of its kind organized by UNFPA, was held to review

recent developments in research on the macroeconomic implications of

population growth.  Some 30 leading development economists from

around the world participated.



     UNFPA's Technical and Evaluation Division designed the

conceptual framework for the consultative meeting, which was

organized around four themes: population growth and economic

development; population growth and economic growth Ä specific

linkages; cost-benefit analysis of family planning; and government

responses to high population growth.



     Also included here are the two background papers UNFPA

prepared for the consultative meeting, Recent Developments in

Research into the Relationship Between Population Growth and Economic

Development and Population Growth and Economic Development:  The

Policy Response of Governments, as well as a Statement on Population

Growth and Economic Development which the participants adopted by

consensus at the end of the meeting.  This important document

emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between economic analysis of

the effects of population growth and the urgency of lowering

population growth rates expressed by policy makers in the developing

world.  The Statement is a plea for a more involved approach by

economists in the face of imperfect information and methods of

analysis.



     The Statement represents a consensus of many differing

points of view.  Several participants, although subscribing to the

Statement, urged the group to adopt an even stronger position

concerning the negative economic effects of high population growth.

Included as an appendix, therefore, is A Dissenting Statement by Mr.

George Stolnitz, one of the participants.  He forcefully argues the

case for including population growth as an important factor affecting

the macro-economy.  This publication is intended to assist policy

makers in the formulation of population policies and programmes, to

suggest future research needs in the area of population growth and

economic development, and to provide input into the preparations for

the International Conference on Population and Development, to be

held in Cairo in 1994.