Population growth and economic difficulties in Latin America

Abstract

One of the main obstacles to the incipient economic development of most Latin American countries is the rapid increase in population. This increase is being caused by the persistence of high birth rates side by side with steeply falling death rates. The immediate effect of such trends is a greater proportion of the population that does not contribute to the production of goods and services, but that consumes and requires important services at the public expense. The acceleration in population thus raises problems of various kinds, especially in housing, public health services and education. According to the author, however, the outlook is not as gloomy as it may appear. In fact, it is highly probable that due to the progress of education, the move to towns and industrialization, Latin America is on the precipice of a slowing down in population growth that will facilitate economic development.

JEL: J11, Q56, O11, O14, O54