A look at Asia's changing youth population

Abstract

Over the past 50 years, nearly every country in Asia has experienced a population boom followed by a drop in birth rates. This pattern produces, after about 20 years, a significant increase in the proportion of adolescents and young adults in a population. Unusually large numbers in this age group will lead to unusually large numbers of births, even when fertility rates are low, a phenomenon that demographers have termed "population momentum." In many countries, policies and programs in family planning and reproductive health will have to be redesigned or expanded to meet the needs of this burgeoning population group.