What can people do with the rate of population growth?

Ladies and gentlemen, the first 50 years of the new millennium will be critical for the world’s population. By 2050, population growth should have leveled off, but by then we’ll have 10 billion people—2/3 as many again as we have today.(18)The rate of population growth is something we can choose right now. It’s a matter of human choice. The choice is a complicated one, with many variables, but it remains a choice.(19)If we want to prevent a population explosion, we should take actions now—or assist the poorer countries to do so. They need better government, better institutions, better labor and capital markets, and better schools.(20)Anything that increases the value of women’s time and adds to the cost of caring for a child makes a woman less likely to have that child. Since big families are often seen as safety nets for illness and old age, improving poor people’s access to insurance, pensions and welfare institutions also has a major impact. This can be as simple as rural credit, providing a means of saving. Finally, there is education—both for women and, perhaps even more importantly, for the next generation of children.