In this speech, Robert McNamara examines the background of the world population problem, analyzes its current trends, evaluates the measures available to deal with it, and suggests actions governments and others can take to help solve it. It now appears that significant fertility decline may have begun in developing countries. Data seem to…

The interrelationship of population growth, food production, and death rates is explored. Birth rates in China, Western Europe, and North America have significantly decreased in the five-year period from 1970-75. This is largely due to widening availability of family planning services and the growing desire to use them. Four European countries…