Overpopulation vs. Economic Development in Egypt

Paper Summary:

One of the more profound obstacles facing Egypt in its path towards development is its overpopulation problem. This is something that the majority of Egyptians and those who have read or researched the development problems facing the country know. However, few of us really appreciate the true significance and dimensions of the population problem. Through an in-depth analysis of the problem and a discussion of its effects on economic growth, this paper argues the importance of adopting aggressive population control and family planning strategies in consideration of the fact that the country, with its available resources, cannot sustain the current population growth figures.

Outline
Population and Demographics in Egypt
Population Growth versus Economic Resources
Solutions

From the Paper:

"Economic development scholars and third world analysts have effectively argued, through the use of economic data and statistics that high rates of population growth are economically unsustainable. The problem lies in a very simple calculation. The resources of a country, whether the land area and the infrastructural services, such as water and electricity, not even to mention nutrition and health care requirements, are established at a certain level and raising that level, as in expanding services and raising food production, are long term. In other words, not only are resources in Third World countries limited and barely able to keep up with a stable population figure but they can only be increased and expanded at a gradual rate. Consequently, when population figures expand and grow beyond the ability of the resources themselves to expand, the end result is increased poverty and larger numbers of people demanding access to welfare service, from healthcare to education to subsidized basic goods. The point here is that accelerated population growth cannot be match with accelerated expansion of services and food production, eventually leading, on the individual levels, to greater poverty and unemployment and on the national level, to a reduced capacity to attain economic development and growth. It is thus that "population growth is a major impediment to sustainable development," and high rates of population growth are an obstacles to development in general."

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