Recent survey data from Bangladesh and Egypt show that average family size hardly declined at all in these countries in the second half of the 1990s. These findings were surprising given that the drop from 5 or 6 children to 3.5 children on average occurred fairly rapidly between the 1970s and 1990s. It is possible that the two-child average is still a long way off, or will never be reached, in some societies. Advancing women's health and rights may well contribute to the transition to smaller families, but it may also require long-term efforts in the poorest societies. After all, women in the poorest societies suffer the greatest health problems and have the most limited opportunities.
Many governments continue to maintain demographic goals as part of their development plans.
These goals will likely coexist with policies that promote the advancement of women and individual welfare. These goals are desirable in their own right regardless of their effect on population growth. In the 21st century, continued population growth presents many of the same challenges to development as the rapid growth of the last century. An important lesson from the Cairo process is that national population goals cannot be pursued without some form of public scrutiny, either at home or abroad. If individuals' perspectives and needs are disregarded, policies will likely meet with evasion or open resistance.