Malnutrition is still a major contributor to child deaths globally. It carries high human and economic costs, as children in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have the highest rates of being underweight. However, low-cost interventions could dramatically reduce malnutrition prevalence.

1. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Malnutrition Is Still a Major
Contributor to Child Deaths
Presentation by Carl Haub, Richard Skolnik,
and Linda Jacobsen of the Population
Reference Bureau, Aug. 16, 2007
2007 World Population
Data Sheet

2. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Global Population Growth Is Driven by Developing
Countries.
Source: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision.
World Population (in Billions): 1950-2050

3. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Developed Countries Have Fewer Young People, but
a Higher Share of Elderly.
Source: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision.
Population by Age and Sex, More Developed Countries: 2007

4. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Developing Countries Have More Young People, and
a Smaller Share of Elderly.
Source: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision.
Population by Age and Sex, Less Developed Countries: 2007

5. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
An Important Global Issue Is the “Demographic Divide” –
The Vast Gulf in Birth and Death Rates Among Countries.
ETHIOPIA GERMANY
Total Population 77.1 million 82.3 million
Population below Age 15 33.0 million 11.9 million
Population Age 65 and Older 2.2 million 15.3 million
Annual Births 3.1 million 672,000
Annual Deaths 1.2 million 821,000
Annual Infant Deaths 236,000 2,600
Life Expectancy at Birth 49 years 79 years
Percent of Adults Ages 15-49 with HIV/AIDS 1.4% 0.1%
Source: Carl Haub, 2007 World Population Data Sheet.
Ethiopia and Germany: The Demographic Divide in 2007

6. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
In Many Developing Countries, Fertility Rates Are
Stabilizing After Years of Decline.
Source: United Nations Population Division and National Demographic and Health Surveys.
Fertility Trends in Sub-Saharan Africa: 1980-2005

7. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
India’s National Fertility Rate Masks Sharp
Differences Among its States.
Source: Registrar General of India, Sample Registration System.
Total Fertility Rate in India and Selected States: 2005

8. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
By Comparison, Fertility Levels May Be on the
Rebound in Much of Europe.
Source: National statistical agencies.
Fertility Trends in Europe: 1980-2006

9. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
HIV Prevalence Varies Greatly Among Countries, and
Is Highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sources: UNAIDS, Demographic and Health Surveys.
Percent of Adults Ages 15-49 with HIV, Selected Countries: 2005-2006

10. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa Have the Highest
Shares of Young Children who Are Underweight.
Source: Carl Haub, 2007 World Population Data Sheet.
Prevalence of Underweight Children Under Age 5, by Country

11. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Vitamin A and Iron Deficiencies Are Also Prevalent
Among Children Under Age 5.
Source: Disease Control Priorities Project, “Stunting, Wasting, and Micronutrient Disorders” (2006): Table 28.1.
Percent of Children Under Age 5 with Vitamin A and Iron Deficiencies, Selected Regions

12. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Malnutrition Carries High Human and Economic
Costs.
Source: The Micronutrient Initiative, Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency: A Global Damage Assessment Report.
Estimated Percentage of GDP Lost to All Forms of Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency, Selected Countries

13. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Some Countries Have Made Progress in Reducing
Malnutrition Among Children Under 5.
Source: ORC Macro, MEASURE DHS STATcompiler (www.measuredhs.com, accessed August 9, 2007).
Percent of Children Under Age 5 Who Are Moderately Underweight, Selected Countries

14. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Low-Cost Interventions Can Dramatically Reduce the
Prevalence of Malnutrition.
INTERVENTION COST
Conditional Cash Transfers $70.00 - $77.00
Iron Supplements $0.55 - $3.17
Vitamin A Supplements $1.01 - $2.55
Nutrition Education $2.50
Salt Iodization $0.20 - $0.50
Source: World Bank, Repositioning Nutrition as Central to Development: A Strategy for Large-Scale Action (2006): Table 1.2.
Annual Cost per Person of Nutrition Programs

15. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Long a Problem in Industrialized Countries, Obesity
Is a Problem in the Developing World.
Source: Carl Haub, 2007 World Population Data Sheet.
Percent of Adults Who Are Obese, Selected Countries: 2005

16. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
The Share of U.S. Adults and Children who Are
Overweight Has Risen Dramatically.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2006: Table 73.
Percent of Adults Ages 20-74 and Children Who Are Overweight or Obese, United States: 1960s to 2000s

17. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
In the United States, Obesity Rates Are Highest
Among Adults in Their Late 50s and Early 60s.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2006: Table 73.
Percent of Men and Women Ages 20 and Older Who Are Obese, United States, by Age: 2001-2004

18. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Despite Rising Obesity Levels, Some Households in
the United States Do Not Always Have Enough to Eat.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2005
(Economic Research Report No.29): Table 1-A.
Percent of Households and Children Who Are Food Insecure, United States: 1998-2005

19. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Children Are More Likely to Experience Food
Insecurity in Some Types of Households.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2005
(Economic Research Report No.29): Table 6.
Prevalence of Food Insecurity by Children’s Household Characteristics, United States: 2005

20. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Women in the United States Have More Children on
Average Than Women in Europe.
Source: National statistical agencies.
Fertility Trends in Europe and the United States: 1980-2006

21. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Hispanic Women Have the Highest Fertility Among
Major U.S. Racial and Ethnic Groups.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
Fertility Trends in the United States, by Race and Ethnicity: 1991 and 2005

22. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Older People Are a Smaller Share of the Population
in the United States Than in Europe and Japan.
Source: Carl Haub, 2007 World Population Data Sheet.
Population Age 65 and Older, by Country

23. © 2007 POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
Presentation by Carl Haub, Richard Skolnik,
and Linda Jacobsen of the Population
Reference Bureau, Aug. 16, 2007
2007 World Population
Data Sheet
Malnutrition Is Still a Major
Contributor to Child Deaths