The reference report 8,000 million lives, infinite possibilities: arguments in favor of rights and freedoms advocates giving a 180 degree turn to the perspective from which demographic figures are approached and urges the political class and the media to dispense with exaggerated stories about population explosions and disasters. Instead of asking how quickly citizens have children, the report urges us to consider whether all people —and especially women— have the necessary guarantees, in health, education, housing, among others, to make the best decisions in order to develop their life projects.
“If we want to build prosperous and inclusive societies, regardless of population size, we need a radical change in mindset when it comes to the way we talk about and plan around population changes,” says Dr. Natalia Kanem , Executive Director of UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund.
In the 68 countries that have provided data on the matter, 44% of women and girls with partners do not have the right to make informed decisions about their own bodies when it comes to sexual relations, contraceptive use and access to health care, a truly overwhelming proportion. Globally, an estimated 257 million women have an unmet need for safe and reliable contraception.
Throughout history, it has been found that fertility policies designed to increase or reduce the birth rate are useless in the vast majority of cases and violate women’s rights. Over the past 20 years, some countries have launched programs to encourage larger families in exchange for financial incentives and rewards for women and their partners; however, its birth rate has not exceeded two children per woman. On the other hand, there have been serious violations of human rights in the form of actions that seek to slow down population growth through forced sterilizations and contraception by coercive means.
Family planning should not be a tool to achieve fertility goals, but a resource that empowers all people. Women, and men, should be able to choose whether to have children and, if so, how many and at what point in their lives.
The report recommends that governments adopt policies that have as a fundamental pillar the guarantee and respect for the rights of people. For example, parental leave programs, tax deductions for each child, policies that promote equality in the workplace, and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. These are proven tools that will generate economic dividends and result in resilient societies capable of thriving no matter what demographic changes they experience.
Key facts and figures from the State of World Population 2023:
– According to data from 68 reporting countries, 24% of women and girls with partners cannot refuse to have sex and 11% do not have the possibility to make decisions about contraception in particular.
– The demographic characteristics of the planet are changing rapidly: two thirds of humanity live in contexts of low fertility, while half of the increase in the world population projected for 2050 corresponds to only eight countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Republic of Tanzania), which will radically transform the ranking of the world’s most populous countries.
– Blaming fertility for climate change does not hold accountable those who emit more carbon dioxide. Of 8,000 million people, around 5,500 million do not earn enough, about 10 dollars a day, to have a significant impact on carbon dioxide emissions.
– According to a recent United Nations study, promoting equity and equality in the workforce would do more to sustain the economies of low-fertility and aging societies than setting targets for women to have more children.
Key facts and figures for Paraguay related to the topics covered in the report:
– Paraguay has approximately 7.5 million people. In 2023 the population is made up of:
+145 thousand births per year (TGF= 2.34 children on average per woman, the highest occurs in Boquerón and is 2.86);
43 thousand deaths per year;
700 fewer people annually as a difference between those who emigrate and immigrate.
– According to Paraguay’s moment in the demographic transition (full stage according to fertility and mortality levels), it has important opportunities (demographic and female bonus) that allow preparing the population to face the challenges of aging (economic security, health and care). .
– Among the challenges facing our country, and according to provisional data from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, in 2021 there were 493 live births to mothers between 10 and 14 years of age and 13,049 to mothers between 15 and 19 years of age, totaling 13,542 live births whose mothers are between 10 and 19 years old. They represent an average of 37 births per day and constitute the highest figure in the Southern Cone.
– According to the Ministry of Finance, in 2021 the total invested in adolescence and youth was G. 8.3 trillion. If direct spending and the total population between 15 and 29 years of age (1,980,000 people) are considered, it yields a total of G. 910,000 per year per person (G. 2,500 per day).
– By 2050 it is expected that 1 in 5 (18%) will be an older person. Paraguay is on the verge of an unprecedented change: in 2054 the proportion of older people will exceed that of children under 15 years of age. To respond to this challenge, it is necessary to analyze and reform the retirement and pension system due to the increase in life expectancy, formalize youth employment and that of women so that the system is sustainable and build resilience to the effects of climate change. .
