From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ZIMBABWE: CENSUS RESULTS A CAUSE FOR WORRY
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 23:48:41 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Population
Title: ZIMBABWE: CENSUS RESULTS A CAUSE FOR WORRY


an inter press service feature

by tafadzwa matimba-mumba

harare, dec 9 (ips) -- government officials have expressed
concern at the continued rapid increase in zimbabwe's population,
announced wednesday to be standing at 10.4 million.

a ceremony to publicise the aug. 18 1992 census enumeration
excercise, the second to be held in zimbabwe since independence
in 1982, revealed that the country had a population growth rate
of 3.1 percent.

in 1982, zimbabwe's population stood at 7.6 million.

''the ideal population growth rate is one that is less than
the economic growth rate. if our economic growth rate was up to
five percent we would be better off'', tichaendepi masaya,
zimbabwe's senior minister for finance says.

according to the 'zimbabwe framework for economic reform 1991-
95', zimbabwe's economic growth rate stands at 2.7 percent per
annum. population growth is therefore far outstripping economic
growth, masaya also chair of the national census committee says.

of the 10.4 million zimbabweans, 5.075 are males, while
females number 5,326 million. masaya adds that women outnumbered
men because they tended to live longer.

''we don't want the population to grow at a high rate before
we put the financial resources in place'', masaya says, adding
that schools, health and other public facilities were expanding
at a slower rate than the population.

zimbabwe has smaller population growth compared with
neighbouring botswana's 3.5 percent and malawi's 3.6 percent per
annum.

while by african standards it is low, sweden which has a
population growth rate of 0.2 percent, australia 1.4 percent and
china records an increase of 1.5 percent per annum, the u.n.
population and vital statistical report says.

although china has a high population of 1.16 billion, the
population growth rate means that the government is able to
sustain its population, gibson mandishona  director of the
central statistical office says. (more/ips)


zimbabwe: census (2)

another growing concern for  government is the rapid increase
in urban numbers. zimbabwe's capital harare has grown in
population size by 74 percent since 1982. today, harare has a
population of 1.478 million.

bulawayo, zimbabwe's second largest city witnessed a 25
percent increase in population. today, the city has are 620,936
inhabitants.

''thats' a big increase which brings the question to policy
formulators of the need for more housing, schools and so on'',
says masaya.

zimbabwe's first census was condusted in 1901 when the
population numbered less than two million. this first census
included only non-africans.

although africans were included in the proceeding 1961/62 and
1969 censuses, diferent questionnaires were used.

according to masaya, the census was an improvement on the 1982
exercise which was marked by a state of political instability.
this years' census, says mandishona has a less than five percent
error margin.

''we need to develop more and to teach people more in the
meantime about population. it has been found that the higher the
education level, the lower the fertility rate'', says mandishona.
(end/ips/tm-m/oa/92)
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