Niger: Population explosion threatens development gains

If the people of Niger (Nigeriens) remain uninformed about family planning and keep reproducing at the current rate the country's population will more than quadruple by 2050, imposing unmanageable demands on the economy, social services and the environment, according to research by Niger's national statistics agency.

Niger's population is counted by the Institute for National Statistics (INS), which compiles its own data through national surveys and censuses and by collaborating with UN agencies. It calculates the current rate of population growth is 3.3 percent every year.

If that growth continues, there will be 56 million people living in Niger by 2050, compared to 13.5 million today, the INS says. In 1960, Niger's population was just 1.7 million.

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