2008 World Population Data Sheet

The Population Reference Bureau has released the 2008 World Population Data Sheet, an excellent annual reference to world population and trends. Some highlights this year include:

• The demographic divide—the inequality in the population and health profiles of rich and poor countries—is widening.
• In 2008, for the first time, half of the world’s population will live in urban areas.
• Despite some improvement, maternal mortality continues to be very high in developing countries.
• Worldwide, women now average 2.6 children during their lifetimes, 3.2 in developing countries excluding China, and 4.7 in the least developed countries.
• In less developed countries, 18 percent of the population is undernourished.