The world's population growth tells two stories: in many countries populations are aging, while in others, populations are getting younger. Projections show most countries will likely see shrinking populations within the next 25 years due to historically low fertility rates.

But the African continent is bucking this trend. It has the potential to benefit from a demographic dividend: an opportunity for rapid economic growth driven by a large, youthful population. But that is with the right combination of policies and technical support).

In this episode of The Development Podcast, we get to grips with what the data tell us, and what this means for development.

Join us as we hear from: Craig Hammer, Manager, Office of the Chief Statistician & Development Data Group, World Bank Group, Sarah Hague, Regional Advisor Social Policy, East and Southern Africa, UNICEF, Juyoung Yang, Economist, Department of Macroeconomic and Financial Policies, Korea Development Institute, Katia Osei, Head of Environmental Justice, The Or Foundation, Ghana.

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome: From demographic dividends to sliver tsunamis

[02:28] Two stories of demographic changes in Ghana and Korea

[08:08] Why do we need data for development?

[09:53] The demographic dividend unpacked

[14:36] Missing data in development

[16:27] How the World Bank Group and UNICEF are working together on data collection

[17:36] What new research on childhood poverty reveals

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The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.