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Indonesian Demographic Transition Essay

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Introduction
The effects of population control programs on demographic change were not instant, and it takes long serious effort to encourage the improvement of economic development in a country. According to Paul J. Gertler (1994, p. 33), “Population control is a key element in a country’s ability to maintain and improve its economic and social welfare”. Furthermore, this paper intends to explain why the change of population structure has an effect on the society’s economic condition in Indonesia with examining the demographic variables.

This short paper is aimed to support the hypothesis that the demographic variables are important influential factors on the economic development and significantly affect on the social welfare in …show more content…

2006, p. 18). Thus the Indonesian population reached the conditions which sustain on the other development supporting factors.

In general, Indonesia has been considered successful to reduce fertility and mortality rates. The total fertility rate (TFR) in Indonesia decreased significantly from the average of 5.6 children per female in 1971 to 4.6 in 1980, from about 3.3 in 1987 decreased to 3.02 in 1990 and continuously dropped to 2.8 in 1994. From 1997 to 2002, according to Indonesia Demographic and Health survey 2002 (IDHS 2002, 2003), the TFR was 2.7 and declined to 2.6 children per female.

Figure 1 Sources: IDHS 2002 & technical report series monograph no.111

Meanwhile, the crude death rate in Indonesia in 1970 was 17, 7.9 in 1988, increased slightly to 9 in 1990 and dropped to only 6 in 2006. Furthermore, the infant mortality rate declined from 67 per 1,000 life birth in 1988, 56 in 1990, to 52 in 2000 (Demographic Indicators: Indonesia, http://www.unicef.org). The decline in mortality rates in Indonesia were caused by better standard of living, better families’ health and better education which are also caused by family welfare improvement.

Since the Indonesian government has already succeeded in lowering the

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