Over the five decades or so from 1950, Asia has witnessed a dramatic demographic transition, affecting the population growth rate, deaths and births. It has implications for the environment, schooling, the position of women and social security. The salient changes involved in this transition include:
Reduction in the infant mortality rate by over two-thirds, from 184 infant deaths to 51 per 1,000 live births and an increase in life expectancy at birth by 25 years. Decline in the total fertility rate (TFR) by more than half, from around six children per woman to 2.6. Decrease of 0.6 percentage points in the population growth rate.
