According to latest figures, the Chinese population decreased by 1.39 million to around 1.408 billion people in 2024. After decades of rapid growth, China arrived at the turning point of its demographic development in 2022, which was earlier than expected. The annual population decrease is estimated to remain at moderate levels until around 2030 but to accelerate thereafter. Population development in China China had for a long time been the country with the largest population worldwide, but according to UN estimates, it has been overtaken by India in 2023. As the population in India is still growing, the country is very likely to remain being home of the largest population on earth in the near future. Due to several mechanisms put into place by the Chinese government as well as changing circumstances in the working and social environment of the Chinese people, population growth has subsided over the past decades, displaying an annual population growth rate of -0.1 percent in 2024. Nevertheless, compared to the world population in total, China held a share of about 17 percent of the overall global population in 2024. China's aging population In terms of demographic developments, the birth control efforts of the Chinese government had considerable effects on the demographic pyramid in China. Upon closer examination of the age distribution, a clear trend of an aging population becomes visible. In order to curb the negative effects of an aging population, the Chinese government abolished the one-child policy in 2015, which had been in effect since 1979, and introduced a three-child policy in May 2021. However, many Chinese parents nowadays are reluctant to have a second or third child, as is the case in most of the developed countries in the world. The number of births in China varied in the years following the abolishment of the one-child policy, but did not increase considerably. Among the reasons most prominent for parents not having more children are the rising living costs and costs for child care, growing work pressure, a growing trend towards self-realization and individualism, and changing social behaviors.

Opinion on questions concerning security policy. East-West comparison.

Topics: Satisfaction with the standard of living; attitude to France, Great Britain, Italy, USA, USSR, Red China and West Germany; preferred East-West-orientation of one´s own country and correspondence of national interests with the interests of selected countries; judgement on the American, Soviet and Red Chinese peace efforts; judgement on the foreign policy of the USA and the USSR; trust in the foreign policy capabilities of the USA; the most powerful country in the world, currently and in the future; comparison of the USA with the USSR concerning economic and military strength, nuclear weapons and the areas of culture, science, space research, education as well as the economic prospects for the average citizen; significance of a landing on the moon; Soviet citizen or American as first on the moon; assumed significance of space research for military development; attitude to a united Europe and Great Britain´s joining the Common Market; preferred relation of a united Europe to the United States; fair share of the pleasant things of life; lack of effort or fate as reasons for poverty; general contentment with life; perceived growth rate of the country´s population and preference for population growth; attitude to the growth of the population of the world; preferred measures against over-population; attitude to a birth control program in the developing countries and in one´s own country; present politician idols in Europe and in the rest of the world; attitude to disarmament; trust in the alliance partners; degree of familiarity with the NATO and assessment of its present strength; attitude to a European nuclear force; desired and estimated loyalty of the Americans to the NATO alliance partners; evaluation of the development of the UN; equal voice for all members of the UN; desired distribution of the UN financial burdens; attitude to an acceptance of Red China in the United Nations; knowledge about battles in Vietnam; attitude to the Vietnam war; attitude to the behavior of America, Red China and the Soviet Union in this conflict; attitude to the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam and preferred attitude of one´s own country in this conflict and in case of a conflict with Red China; opinion on the treatment of colored people in Great Britain, America and the Soviet Union; judgement on the American Federal Government and on the American population regarding the equality of Negros; degree of familiarity with the Chinese nuclear tests; effects of this test on the military strength of Red China; attitude to American private investments in the Federal Republic; the most influential groups and organizations in the country; party preference; religiousness.

Interviewer rating: social class of respondent.

Additionally encoded were: number of contact attempts; date of interview.

The history of modern Brazil begins in the year 1500 when Pedro Álvares Cabral arrived with a small fleet and claimed the land for the Portuguese Empire. With the Treaty of Torsedillas in 1494, Spain and Portugal agreed to split the New World peacefully, thus allowing Portugal to take control of the area with little competition from other European powers. As the Portuguese did not arrive with large numbers, and the indigenous population was overwhelmed with disease, large numbers of African slaves were transported across the Atlantic and forced to harvest or mine Brazil's wealth of natural resources. These slaves were forced to work in sugar, coffee and rubber plantations and gold and diamond mines, which helped fund Portuguese expansion across the globe. In modern history, transatlantic slavery brought more Africans to Brazil than any other country in the world. This combination of European, African and indigenous peoples set the foundation for what has become one of the most ethnically diverse countries across the globe.

Independence and Monarchy By the early eighteenth century, Portugal had established control over most of modern-day Brazil, and the population more than doubled in each half of the 1800s. The capital of the Portuguese empire was moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1808 (as Napoleon's forces moved closer towards Lisbon), making this the only time in European history where a capital was moved to another continent. The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was established in 1815, and when the Portuguese monarchy and capital returned to Lisbon in 1821, the King's son, Dom Pedro, remained in Brazil as regent. The following year, Dom Pedro declared Brazil's independence, and within three years, most other major powers (including Portugal) recognized the Empire of Brazil as an independent monarchy and formed economic relations with it; this was a much more peaceful transition to independence than many of the ex-Spanish colonies in the Americas. Under the reign of Dom Pedro II, Brazil's political stability remained relatively intact, and the economy grew through its exportation of raw materials and economic alliances with Portugal and Britain. Despite pressure from political opponents, Pedro II abolished slavery in 1850 (as part of a trade agreement with Britain), and Brazil remained a powerful, stable and progressive nation under Pedro II's leadership, in stark contrast to its South American neighbors. The booming economy also attracted millions of migrants from Europe and Asia around the turn of the twentieth century, which has had a profound impact on Brazil's demography and culture to this day.

The New Republic

Despite his popularity, King Pedro II was overthrown in a military coup in 1889, ending his 58 year reign and initiating six decades of political instability and economic difficulties. A series of military coups, failed attempts to restore stability, and the decline of Brazil's overseas influence contributed greatly to a weakened economy in the early 1900s. The 1930s saw the emergence of Getúlio Vargas, who ruled as a fascist dictator for two decades. Despite a growing economy and Brazil's alliance with the Allied Powers in the Second World War, the end of fascism in Europe weakened Vargas' position in Brazil, and he was eventually overthrown by the military, who then re-introduced democracy to Brazil in 1945. Vargas was then elected to power in 1951, and remained popular among the general public, however political opposition to his beliefs and methods led to his suicide in 1954. Further political instability ensued and a brutal, yet prosperous, military dictatorship took control in the 1960s and 1970s, but Brazil gradually returned to a democratic nation in the 1980s. Brazil's economic and political stability fluctuated over the subsequent four decades, and a corruption scandal in the 2010s saw the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. Despite all of this economic instability and political turmoil, Brazil is one of the world's largest economies and is sometimes seen as a potential superpower. The World Bank classifies it as a upper-middle income country and it has the largest share of global wealth in Latin America. It is the largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking), and sixth most populous country in the world, with a population of more than 210 million people.

GDP per capita, 2012 (USD 2012) from World Bank [10];Total health expenditure (THE), 2012 (% of GDP) from World Bank [11];Out-of-pocket health expenditure, 2012 (% of THE) from WHO [12];Population living in endemic areas (2014) from APOC treatment database (last update:2012) and UN (population growth rates 2013–2014) [13]SD: standard deviationEndemic African countries: GDP per capita, health expenditure (total, out of pocket), population living in endemic areas.

Abstract

The 2005-2006 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (2005-06 ZDHS) is one of a series of surveys undertaken by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) as part of the Zimbabwe National Household Survey Capability Programme (ZNHSCP) and the worldwide MEASURE DHS programme. The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MOH&CW), Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), and the Musasa Project contributed significantly to the design, implementation, and analysis of the 2005-06 ZDHS results. Financial support for the 2005-06 ZDHS was provided by the government of Zimbabwe, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Demographic and Health Research Division of Macro International Inc. (Macro) provided technical assistance during all phases of the survey.

While significantly expanded in content, the 2005-06 ZDHS is a follow-on to the 1988, 1994, and 1999 ZDHS and provides updated estimates of basic demographic and health indicators covered in the earlier surveys. In addition, data on malaria prevention and treatment, domestic violence, anaemia, and HIV/AIDS were also collected in the 2005-06 ZDHS. The primary objectives of the 2005-06 ZDHS project are to provide up-to-date information on fertility levels; nuptiality; sexual activity; fertility preferences; awareness and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; nutritional status of mothers and young children; early childhood mortality and maternal mortality; maternal and child health; and awareness, behaviour, and prevalence regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Children under five years
• Women age 15-49
• Men age 15-54

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The sample for the 2005-06 ZDHS was designed to provide population and health indicator estimates at the national and provincial levels. The sample design allowed for specific indicators, such as contraceptive use, to be calculated for each of the 10 provinces (Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands, Masvingo, Harare, and Bulawayo). The sampling frame used for the 2005-06 ZDHS was the 2002 Zimbabwe Master Sample (ZMS02) developed by CSO after the 2002 population census. With the exception of Harare and Bulawayo, each of the other eight provinces was stratified into four strata according to land use: communal lands, large-scale commercial farming areas (LSCFA), urban and semi-urban areas, smallscale commercial farming areas (SSCFA), and resettlement areas. Only one urban stratum was formed each for Harare and Bulawayo, providing a total of 34 strata.

A representative probability sample of 10,800 households was selected for the 2005-06 ZDHS. The sample was selected in two stages with enumeration areas (EAs) as the first stage and households as the second stage sampling units. In total 1,200 EAs were selected with probability proportional to size (PPS), the size being the number of households enumerated in the 2002 census. The selection of the EAs was a systematic, one-stage operation carried out independently for each of the 34 strata. The 1,200 ZMS02 EAs were divided into three replicates of 400 EAs each. One of the replicates consisting of 400 EAs was used for the 2005-06 ZDHS. In the second stage, a complete listing of households and mapping exercise was carried out for each cluster in January 2005. The list of households obtained was used as the frame for the second stage random selection of households. The listing excluded people living in institutional households (army barracks, hospitals, police camps, boarding schools, etc.). CSO provincial supervisors also trained provincial CSO officers to use global positioning system (GPS) receivers to take the coordinates of the 2005-06 ZDHS sample clusters.

All women age 15-49 and all men age 15-54 who were either permanent residents of the households in the 2005-06 ZDHS sample or visitors present in the household on the night before the survey were eligible to be interviewed. Anaemia and HIV testing was performed in each household among eligible women and men who consented to either or both tests. With the parent's or guardian's consent, children age 6-59 months were tested for anaemia in each household. In addition, a sub-sample of one eligible woman in each household was randomly selected to be asked additional questions about domestic violence.

Note: See detailed sample implementation summary tables in Appendix A of the Final Report.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]F

Research instrument

Three questionnaires were used for the 2005-06 ZDHS: a Household Questionnaire, a Women’s Questionnaire, and a Men’s Questionnaire. These questionnaires were adapted to reflect the population and health issues relevant to Zimbabwe at a series of meetings with various stakeholders from government ministries and agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and international donors. Three language versions of the questionnaires were produced: Shona, Ndebele, and English.

The Household Questionnaire was used to list all the usual members and visitors of selected households. Some basic information was collected on the characteristics of each person listed, including his or her age, sex, education, and relationship to the head of the household. For children under age 18, survival status of the parents was determined. If a child in the household had a parent who was sick for more than three consecutive months in the 12 months preceding the survey or a parent who had died, additional questions related to support for orphans and vulnerable children were asked. Additionally, if an adult in the household was sick for more than three consecutive months in the 12 months preceding the survey or an adult in the household died, questions were asked related to support for sick people or people who have died. The Household Questionnaire was also used to identify women and men who were eligible for the individual interview. Additionally, the Household Questionnaire collected information on characteristics of the household’s dwelling unit, such as the source of water, type of toilet facilities, materials used for the floor of the house, ownership of various durable goods, and ownership and use of mosquito nets. The Household Questionnaire was also used to record height, weight, and haemoglobin measurements for children age 6-59 months.

The Women’s Questionnaire was used to collect information from all women age 15-49. These women were asked questions on the following topics: - Background characteristics (education, residential history, media exposure, etc.) - Birth history and childhood mortality - Knowledge and use of family planning methods - Fertility preferences - Antenatal, delivery and postnatal care - Breastfeeding and infant feeding practices - Vaccinations and childhood illnesses - Marriage and sexual activity - Women’s work and husband’s background characteristics - Women’s and children’s nutritional status - Domestic violence - Awareness and behaviour regarding AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) - Adult mortality including maternal mortality.

As in the 1999 ZDHS, a “calendar” was used in the 2005-06 ZDHS to collect information on the respondent’s reproductive history since January 2000 concerning contraceptive method use, sources of contraception, reasons for contraceptive discontinuation, and marital unions. In addition, interviewing teams measured the height and weight of all children under the age of five years and of all women age 15-49.

The Men’s Questionnaire was administered to all men age 15-54 in each household in the 2005-06 ZDHS sample. The Men’s Questionnaire collected much of the same information found in the Women’s Questionnaire but was shorter because it did not contain a detailed reproductive history or questions on maternal and child health or nutrition.

Response rate

A total of 10,752 households were selected for the sample, of which 9,778 were currently occupied. The shortfall was largely due to some households no longer existing in the sampled clusters at the time of the interview. Of the 9,778 existing households, 9,285 were successfully interviewed, yielding a household response rate of 95 percent.

In the interviewed households, 9,870 eligible women were identified and, of these, 8,907 were interviewed, yielding a response rate of 90 percent. Of the 8,761 eligible men identified, 7,175 were successfully interviewed (82 percent response rate). The principal reason for nonresponse among both eligible men and women was the failure to find them at home despite repeated visits to the households. The lower response rate among men than among women was due to the more frequent and longer absences of men from the households.

Note: See summarized response rates in Table 1.3 of the Final Report.

Sampling error estimates

The estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: (1) non-sampling errors, and (2) sampling errors. Non-sampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data

The 2004 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 11,698 women age 1549 and 3,261 men age 15-54. The main purpose of the 2004 MDHS is to provide policymakers and programme managers with detailed information on fertility, family planning, childhood and adult mortality, maternal and child health, as well as knowledge of and attitudes related to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The 2004 MDHS is designed to provide data to monitor the population and health situation in Malawi as a followup of the 1992 and 2000 MDHS surveys, and the 1996 Malawi Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Health Survey. New features of the 2004 MDHS include the collection of information on use of mosquito nets, domestic violence, anaemia testing of women and children under 5, and HIV testing of adults. The 2004 MDHS survey was implemented by the National Statistical Office (NSO). The Ministry of Health and Population, the National AIDS Commission (NAC), the National Economic Council, and the Ministry of Gender contributed to the development of the questionnaires for the survey. Most of the funds for the local costs of the survey were provided by multiple donors through the NAC. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided additional funds for the technical assistance through ORC Macro. The Department for International Development (DfID) of the British Government, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) also provided funds for the survey. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention provided technical assistance in HIV testing. The survey used a two-stage sample based on the 1998 Census of Population and Housing and was designed to produce estimates for key indicators for ten large districts in addition to estimates for national, regional, and urban-rural domains. Fieldwork for the 2004 MDHS was carried out by 22 mobile interviewing teams. Data collection commenced on 4 October 2004 and was completed on 31 January 2005. The principal aim of the 2004 MDHS project was to provide up-to-date information on fertility and childhood mortality levels, nuptiality, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, use of maternal and child health services, and knowledge and behaviours related to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. It was designed as a follow-on to the 2000 MDHS survey, a national-level survey of similar scope. The 2004 MDHS survey, unlike the 2000 MDHS, collected blood samples which were later tested for HIV in order to estimate HIV prevalence in Malawi. In broad terms, the 2004 MDHS survey aimed to: Assess trends in Malawi's demographic indicators, principally fertility and mortality Assist in the monitoring and evaluation of Malawi's health, population, and nutrition programmes Advance survey methodology in Malawi and contribute to national and international databases Provide national-level estimates of HIV prevalence for women age 15-49 and men age 15-54. In more specific terms, the 2004 MDHS survey was designed to: Provide data on the family planning and fertility behaviour of the Malawian population and thereby enable policymakers to evaluate and enhance family planning initiatives in the country Measure changes in fertility and contraceptive prevalence and analyse the factors that affect these changes, such as marriage patterns, desire for children, availability of contraception, breastfeeding habits, and important social and economic factors Examine basic indicators of maternal and child health and welfare in Malawi, including nutritional status, use of antenatal and maternity services, treatment of recent episodes of childhood illness, and use of immunisation services. Particular emphasis was placed on malaria programmes, including malaria prevention activities and treatment of episodes of fever. Provide levels and patterns of knowledge and behaviour related to the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections Provide national estimates of HIV prevalence Measure the level of infant and adult mortality including maternal mortality at the national level Assess the status of women in the country. MAIN FINDINGS Fertility Fertility Levels and Trends. While there has been a significant decline in fertility in the past two decades from 7.6 children in the early 1980s to 6.0 children per woman in the early 2000s, compared with selected countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, such as Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, and Uganda, the total fertility rate (TFR) in Malawi is high, lower only than Uganda (6.9). Family planning Knowledge of Contraception. Knowledge of family planning is nearly universal, with 97 percent of women age 15-49 and 97 percent of men age 15-54 knowing at least one modern method of family planning. The most widely known modern methods of contraception among all women are injectables (93 percent), the pill and male condom (90 percent each), and female sterilisation (83 percent). Maternal health Antenatal Care. There has been little change in the coverage of antenatal care (ANC) from a medical professional since 2000 (93 percent in 2004 compared with 91 percent in 2000). Most women receive ANC from a nurse or a midwife (82 percent), although 10 percent go to a doctor or a clinical officer. A small proportion (2 percent) receives ANC from a traditional birth attendant, and 5 percent do not receive any ANC. Only 8 percent of women initiated ANC before the fourth month of pregnancy, a marginal increase from 7 percent in the 2000 MDHS. Adult and Maternal Mortality. Comparison of data from the 2000 and 2004 MDHS surveys indicates that mortality for both women and men has remained at the same levels since 1997 (11-12 deaths per 1,000). Child health Childhood Mortality. Data from the 2004 MDHS show that for the 2000-2004 period, the infant mortality rate is 76 per 1,000 live births, child mortality is 62 per 1,000, and the under-five mortality rate is 133 per 1,000 live births. Nutrition Breastfeeding Practices. Breastfeeding is nearly universal in Malawi. Ninety-eight percent of children are breastfed for some period of time. The median duration of breastfeeding in Malawi in 2004 is 23.2 months, one month shorter than in 2000. HIV/AIDS Awareness of AIDS. Knowledge of AIDS among women and men in Malawi is almost universal. This is true across age group, urban-rural residence, marital status, wealth index, and education. Nearly half of women and six in ten men can identify the two most common misconceptions about the transmission of HIV-HIV can be transmitted by mosquito bites, and HIV can be transmitted by supernatural means-and know that a healthy-looking person can have the AIDS virus.