UNFPA's State of World Population 2010 and UNDP's Human Development Report 2010 were recently released and there is good and bad news for Asia. The good news is that women are giving birth to fewer children, babies born in most countries survive to celebrate their first birthday and indeed can expect to live longer than any time in history, and contraceptive use is as comparable to the developed world. With a young population, and thus a large number in the productive compared to the dependent ages, Asia is in an ideal position to reap the demographic dividend. And its economic boom is its crowning glory. But there is bad news too. Asia's averages are misleading, and conveniently cover up the inequities that persist within countries, between regions, between rich and poor, and between men and women. (The Times of India)
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