africa: Poorer Nations Struggle with Ballooning Birth Rates

Population growth rates in developed and developing countries are becoming increasingly skewed, posing challenges to governments worldwide, according to the 2003 World Population Data Sheet released on Tuesday. Published by the Washington-based Population Reference Bureau (PRB), the survey estimates a 193 percent population increase in Central Africa--the fastest-growing region in the first half of the 21st century--compared to a mere 6 percent gain in Northern Europe and a population decline in the rest of Europe.