Central America

POPULATION AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND SELECTED COUNTRIES OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN DONALD J. BOGUE Social Development Center 1313 East 60thi Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 JANUARY 1985(' The SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER founded in July, 1979, is a nonprofit, private corporation devoted to performing public service by making practical applications of social science research rind theory, in order to solve social problems and clarify public issues, both in the United States and in developing cotntries. The SDC's home offie is located at 1313 East 60th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 USA. It is not affiliated with any other institution. NOTE: Permission is hereby freely given to any nonprofit organization to teproduce, translate into other languages, or otherwise publishparts or all of this report without obtaining prior written conswnt from the author or publishers. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 84-50715 © 1985 by Social Development Center Printed in Chicago, Illinois USA /p CONTENTS iv Acknowledgements v Map of Countries Highlighted in Report vii Executive Summary 1 Introduction Part I. Demographic Analysis 9 1. Fertility 14 2. Mortality 25 3. Population Growth 37 4. Age and Sex Composition and Dependency 45 5. Marital Status 49 6. Urban-Rural Residence and Migration 58 7. Literacy and Educational Attainment 69 8. Labor Force and Occupational Status 81 9. Nutrition and Health 92 10. Housing and Amenities 101 Part I1. National Economic Development 117 Part Ill. Family Planning and Socioeconomic Development 129 Bibliography iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is the product of acollaborative effort by numerous persons, and the generous contributions of others. The author interviewed representatives of the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Population Division of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the Pan American Health Organization, and the U.S. Agency for International Developmeni. The help they gave, both in the form of materials and advice, isgrate fully acknowledged. The research staff of the Social Development Center-Dave Hartmann, Albert Wool bright, Tony Tam, and Odalia Ho-worked industriously to locate data distributed in many different publications and to assemble them and from them construct the statistical tables reported h.re. Tlh report was typed and prepared for pubication by Yolanda Garcia, Laura Perez, and Bette Crigger. Two other persons generously con tributed their time toward the finalization of the report: George Rumsey and Isabel Garcia. As an experienced manuscript and publication editor, Gerrge Rumsey volun teered to supervise the design and final layout. Isabel Garcia volunteered administrative and secretarial time to the project. iv f2~1 Caribbean Cuba Belize A"Haiti Gutmla Dominican Republic . Nicaragua Costa Rica :: Panama MAP OF COUNTRIES HIGHLIGHTED IN REPORT (Countries not drawn inscale) Executive Summary I. Overview A. Major Findings materialize. Lowering the present annual growth rate of 3.0 percent (3.5 for some 1.The nations covered in this analysis* nations) to a level of between 1.0 and 1.5 have a!ong list of conditions.that must be ir- percent over the next 15-20 years is a ne proved if the standard of living and quality cessary (though not sufficient) condition of life of the residents isto be raised to the for significant acceleration of the pace of levels regarded as "minimally adequate" by improvement. To the extent that slower current world standards, and which the citi- growth rates are not achieved, all other in zens expect their economy and government vestments and efforts will be proportion to provide. Figure A licts these problems. ately less effective, and progress will be Rapid population growth has helped to postponed or slowed. create most of these difficulties and now is a major direct and indirect impediment to 3. Because population growth is a net their solution. The validity of this finding balance of births, deaths, and migration, isdocumented in the accompanying report. the only practical way for slower growth to occur isthrough fertility reduction. Emi 2. Although slower population growth gration to other countries, and especial alone cannot usher in the hoped-for era of ly to the United States, can absorb only a prosperity, without it that era can never small fraction of the total growth, and re *This report emphasizes the countries of "Central America" (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rics, Panama, and Belize) and Mexico. For comparative purposes, data on other countries are highlighted, especially Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. vii sistance to such migration is mounting, not . Mortality-Morbidity only in North America, but in other Latin (a) Programs to reduce infant and rna American and in Europen nations. ternal mortality should continue to receive high priority. Although reduction of death 4. Public opinion about population- rates has the direct effect of increasing the lit every Central American nation for population growth rate, it has an indirect which data are available, there is over- effect to reduce fertility. whelming evidence that most of the child- (b) The programs of family planning, bearing beyond the third or fourth child is recommended in 1(c) above, should be pro undesired. Negative attitudes towards con- moted both Ly integration through existing traception, on religious, political, or ethical health and medical facilities, including grounds, are held by only asmall minority nutrition programs, and as long-term pro among the masses. The major reason why grams through pharmacies, private physi debilitating growth rates, fueled by high cians, and private voluntary organizations. fertility, persist in Central America is lack of information (including much misinform- 3. Agriculture and Migration ation) and lack of adequate contraceptive (a) Little effort should be made to sub services (both counselling and medical at- sidize continued farming subsistence plots tention). These are services that would be of land inappropriate for cropping or of in welcomed in rural and urban areas through- sufficient size to provide an adequate liveli out the region. hood. Residents of such subsistence opera tions need to be relocated on more appro B. Major Populatioh, Recommendations priate lands, given supplementary employ ment in other rural industries, or encour 1. Fertility-Family Planning aged to migrate to cities or other areas (a) All persons of reproductive age where a better standard of living is insured. should be offered correct and sufficiently (b) As agriculture is diversified and detailed information about all methods of modernized, attention should be paid to contraception to enable them to make an providing employment to rural workers, informed, voluntary choice concerning con- thereby reducing the pressure to migrate traceptive use. to cities. (b) All persons of reproductive age should have reasonably convenient access C. Conclusion to contraceptive services and supplies, at prices they can afford. Given the favorable attitudes of the pop (c) Where the two conditions just list- ulation, the already existing trend toward ed do not now exist, special programs to increased use of family planning, and the bring them into being should be launched, favorable past experiences of limited family with international financial and technical planning efforts, a stepped-up population assistance if necessary. Such programs planning program has excellent chances of should give priority to meeting the needs of improving the quality of life in Central the rural communities. The resources of the America. commercial sector, of the private medical sector, and of the private voluntary organi zations as welP as of the public sector, should be recruited and mobilized for this effort. Opportunities exist to expand the already successful efforts of the commer cial and private voluntary organizations. viii Effects of Problems Rapid Proposed of Econornic and Socid Dvelopment Population Growth Solutions Developmeiit of the urban sector Large families and high fertility help cause: iiw Develop the Low growth in industrial employment Widespread unemployment, especiilly of urban sector Low ability to compete in foreign markets youth Lack of technical manpower Low purchasing power per person Large "informal" sector of low productivity Need to spend most of income on food Excess of unskilled labor Inability to save for investment Lack of corsumer demand Children work instead of attending school High rates of unemployment Incomes too low to tax High rates of urderemployment Rapid growth of Irbor force Development of the rural sector 0 Large fami!ies and high fertility help cause: mi Develop the Large number of underemployed, landless Large amounts of manpower that the rural rural sector rural poor population economy cannot absorb Large numbers of underemployed, sub- Surplus labor forced to work at submarginal marginal farm operators jobs, low wages, seasonal work Rural economy unable to absorb its own Farming of plots of land too small to provide population growth a livelihood Decline in exports of traditional products Farming of land unfit for cropland Slow increase in productivity of agriculture Child labor instead of schooling Arable land inaccessible to those nueding it Low productivity due to lack of capital for Cultivation of steep slopes and other areas seeds, fertilizer, tools that should riot be used as ropland Subsistence rather than commarcial farms Misuses

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