Population growth and development.

PIP: Development is a complex process that has no universal laws to guide it. However, there is widespread agreement that population growth is a crucial factor in the process of social and economic development. Population growth is not always in itself detrimental to development, especially in some developed countries where there are economies of scale and sufficient human and physical capital for new investments. Developing countries face an environment that is less favorable for economic growth than did the developed countries of the past. The major problem lies in the extended time lag between population increases on the 1 hand and technological advances and adaptations on the other hand. In populations that are not equipped to make the necessary technological and infrastructural changes, even moderate population growth can arrest the development process. The transfer or adaptation of new technologies requires time, money, and other structural changes. Moreover, rapid population growth reduces the proportion of household savings, making less money available for per capita investment in both physical and human capital. At the family level, less time and money are available for child development. At the societal level, it becomes more difficult to finance the physical and human investments necessary for sustained economic growth. Under the best conditions, a developing Asian country can expect to achieve better economic performance in the longterm if the population has moderate growth, doubling over a 50-year period. While a slower rate of growth can accelerate development, it introduces a host of new social problems such as providing security to the elderly.^ieng