Anticipated demographic trends in population growth and age are essential in economic growth. Demographic trends provide the opportunity for a country to plan so that it can reduce poverty and yield a demographic dividend. The demography of West Africa is similar to the rest of Africa and provides the same insight needed for developing a country. The number of people living in West Africa by the year 2010 was 317 million. The population of many OECD countries is reducing and ageing with a population growth of 0.03% but as for West Africa, the population growth is 2.35% (Evans & World Bank Group 2014). The population of West African countries is rapidly growing. The population is estimated to exceed 400 million by the year 2030 and 300 million by 2040.
The fertility rate of West African counties is the highest in Africa. For decades, Nigeria has led in fertility rates with more people being born every year. The annual population of population in this region is 3% which comes first before eastern African countries. It is very high when compared with North African countries whose population is decreasing by 0.8% (Evans & World Bank Group 2014). However, recent studies show that fertility rates are reducing in this region. The low fertility rates are estimated to reduce the population growth to 2% over the years. Although fertility rates around the world in many countries continue to decline without being interrupted, in West African countries, it has slowed down or stalled meaning that it will not decline any further. Declining GDP in some countries such as Liberia who have been in civil wars for some years contributed to the slowing down of fertility rates. HIV/AIDS infection is the main factor in the reduction of fertility rates (Organisation, E. C.-D & Club 2010. People dying and the ones ailing cannot be able to give birth. The low fertility rates imply that in the future, there will be growing population which may lead to some adverse effects socially, food security and economic development.
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"Demographics of West Africa".
Mortality rates in West Africa were slowing down for a number of years; this was due to treatment of communicable diseases. Malaria was the most endemic in most of western Africa country and the rest of Africa. But as people became more aware and protected themselves, mortality rates reduced. However, the rise in Ebola cases in western Africa has led to increase in mortality rates again. Liberia is the most hit by the epidemic of Ebola. The disease is untreatable and a when a person catches it, it does not take him many days for him or her to die. The child mortality rates is however expected to decline from 116 per 1000 live deaths in the year 2011 to 70 per 1000 live deaths in 2030 (Organisation, E. C.-D & Club 2010). This is estimated to improve due to better incomes, better health facilities and improved water supply. Compared to the rest of Africa, the region is not expected to benefit more but at least it will reduce the mortality rate which is the highest in Africa currently.
The average life expectancy in this region currently sits at 55. In 2010, the average life expectancy was at 57. The reduction is because of Ebola which has hit the region hard. However, central Africa has the lowest average life expectancy and not the West African countries although their figures are close. It is projected that by 2030, the region will have a life expectancy of 64 years. This is very low compared to east Africa which will have a life expectancy of 76. The average life expectancy however varies slightly among the West African countries. The countries are grouped by income level. Nigeria has the highest life expectancy of 58 followed by Ghana and Ivory Coast. Liberia and Guinea Bissau are the last in the list with 54 years as the average life expectancy.
The highest number of people in this region is accounted by the youths. All the youths in Nigeria are approximately 245 million. Nigeria which has the biggest economy accounts for three fifths of this total number of youths. This high number of youths increased five folds over a period of five decades, from 1950 to 2010 (Bledsoe & Banja, 2002). However, the slowing fertility rate has slowed down this rise in number of youths. 60% of the total people in West Africa are aged below 20. It is also estimated that people who were employed between the ages of 15-65 in 2005 where 75 million. By 2025, it is expected that that number will rise to 125 million and by 2050; 200 million will be working in different sectors. Despite this, unemployment in this region stands at 51% which is the second after central Africa in Africa. Nigeria which has the biggest economy and the highest number of people in Africa has an unemployment level of 41%. Ghana has the lowest unemployment rate which stands at 11% while Guinea Bissau has the highest unemployment rate which stands at 70% of the total population.
The average annual income of the countries of West Africa is $309. This is one of the lowest annual incomes in the world. When compared to sub Saharan countries which earn $479 every year, it is a shame. Of the 21 underdeveloped countries in the world, 11 of these countries are in West Africa making it the poorest region in the world (Bledsoe & Banja, 2002). 55% of the people in this region live on less than a dollar per day. This was further complicated by the Ebola pandemic which did not allow people to go and find food or money for their families. Of late, Ebola is responsible for these vices that is afflicting western Africa region. In order for these countries to develop further, the Ebola pandemic should be controlled.
- Evans, D., & World Bank Group,. (2014). The economic impact of the 2014 Ebola epidemic: short- and medium-term estimates for West Africa. World bank group
- Organisation, . E. C.-D., & Club, S. W. A. (2010). Regional Atlas on West Africa. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- Bledsoe, C. H., & Banja, F. (2002). Contingent lives: Fertility, time, and aging in West Africa. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
