What accounts for the increase in world human population?
Note that some of these are merely slightly different ways of looking at the same phenomenon. Sometimes seeing the same thing from different angles helps give a better insight. Life expectancy has been increasing: The US Census site gives the following: • 1955: 48 years • 1995: 65 years (World Bank says 67 for 1995) • 2025 projected: 73 years (World Health Report, 1998, agrees with these numbers) Infant mortality rate per 1000 live births has been decreasing: • 1955: 148 • 1995: 59 • 2025 projected: 29 years (World Health Report, 1998, agrees with these numbers) Child mortality (deaths of children under 5 years of age) has been decreasing (per 1000 live births): • 1955: 210 • 1995: 78 • 2025 projected: 37 (World Health Report, 1998, agrees with these numbers) Fertility Rate, though dramatically decreased from 1955, still exceeds replacement level: • 1955: 5 • 1995: 2.9 Worldwide, in 1995, the number of babies born per woman was 2.9 which is still above the replacement level of 2.1. How
