Utanian Press Agency, Release 99 Month 301 AP

UPA (Utanian Press Agency)
Release: Month 99, 301 AP.

Utania headed for "Population explosion" - Census

The Utanian Bureau of Census has released the second major report from analysis of the January census results, and predicted an Utanian population of 86 million in twenty-five years, which the country will struggle to feed.

Utania is currently experiencing a population explosion according to the Utanian Census Bureau, using those words for the first time. The Utanian birthrate is currently 37 births per 1000 people, and the population growth over the past four years 2.5%. At that rate, the Utanian population will reach a hundred million people in thirty years time. This report is the first time the Census Bureau has used the words "population explosion".

"The Population is exploding", according to Professor Dubois of the University of Luka, a key advisor to the Census Bureau, "and Utania will explode with it." Professor Dubois, of the Department of Geographical Studies, says that Utania's population growth rate will overrun the country with people, and that the population must be slowed now.

The census also reported that 1,660,708 babies were born in Utania last year, and that the infant mortality rate is currently 39 deaths per 1,000 births. The number of babies born pushes the fertility rate to 5 children per family, however, taking a five year average of the birth rate gives a fertility rate of 4.34 children per mother.

<tech> Infant mortality rates in Earth nations are: World = 57, UK = 5.8, Peru = 10, Angola = 142.1, while the fertility rate compares to 2.9 for the whole planet, 1.7 in the UK, 2.25 in Peru, and 6.42 in Angola. </tech>

Professor Dubois says that Utani women have not reduced their fertility rate, despite a great improvement in infant and child mortality. "The average Utani woman is still having 5.7 children, while non-Utani have 2.9 children", says Dubois. "It is simply unnecessary to have quite so many children when healthcare in Utania is getting so much better."

Utani nationalists reject the suggestion that Utani women are having so many children because of infant mortality. "It is because of poverty, and a lack of aged care in Utania that couples must ensure their aged survival by having large numbers of children." The census notes that better healthcare is less important that the draconian Population Laws of the Guwimithian regime that tried to slow all Dependency population growth rates. When those laws were repealed, population growth dramatically accelerated.

The Utanian population breakdown is 35% under-15s, 58% 15-64, and 7% over-65s.
<tech> The UK is 19, 65 and 16%, while Angola is 45, 53 and 2%. World average is 31, 62, and 7%. </tech>
With one third of the population, or 16.4 million, being children, the population is set to grow enormously, and is straining the present educational system. Education is compulsory for under-15s in all states except Savana, making for Utanian school students.

Overpopulation is a suggestion rejected by the Utani Saedaj Party and other Utani nationalists. "What Professor Dubois and others like him mean, is that the proportion of Utani in this country, currently at 76.2%, will grow until we dominate overwhelmingly. They have no desire to see so many Utani men and women in their prestigious universities", claims one Utani nationalist. The Utani birthrate is over 40 per 1,000 people, whereas only 19 for non-Utani.

Professor Dubois rejects the assertion. "What I do not want to see is the day when Utanians start importing food to feed our enormous population!" Utania currently feeds, including exports, a population of about 80 million, and is heavily dependent on the export revenues from agricultural exports.