OVERVIEW
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BOX O.1
Population Pyramids Are History Transitions in fertility and mortality and uneven migration patterns will make population pyramids extinct by 2050, in all except the very high fertility countries. Figure BO.1.1 shows age structures of three very different contexts: Uganda, where the fertility transition has been slow and late; Poland, which has very low fertility and low mortality; and the Arab Republic of Egypt, which falls in between these two scenarios. The pyramids show that by 2050, half of Uganda’s population will be below 20 years of age; Egypt’s population, which is young now, will be older and replaced by a much smaller cohort of young people; and Poland will have a full-fledged aging crisis. Each of these three scenarios underscores the need for planning and vision.
Figure BO.1.1 Population Pyramids in Uganda, Poland, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, 1950, 2010, and 2050 Uganda
Age 100+ 95–99 90–94 85–89 80–84 75–79 70–74 65–69 60–64 55–59 50–54 45–49 40–44 35–39 30–34 25–29 20–24 15–19 10–14 5–9 0–4 10
5
0
Male (%)
5 Female (%)
1950
10 10
5
0
Male (%)
5 Female (%)
2010
10 10
5
0
Male (%)
5 Female (%)
2050
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