Morocco's population growth stands at 1.7 percent

Morocco's population growth rate diminished from 3% in the 60s to 1.7% today, said Wednesday Moroccan minister of economic forecasts, Abdelhamid Aouad.

Aouad, who was talking at a conference on "demographic transitions in southern countries," said with a 28 million-strong population, population growth has started to decrease since the 80s as fecundity regressed from 6 to 3 children per woman in the period between 1977 and 1997, thanks to the use of contraceptive devices which reaches presently 60 percent.

The minister also insisted that developing countries should integrate demographic issues in their development policies and in their international cooperation programs.

The conference, December 9-12, is co-sponsored by the Rabat Institute of statistics and applied economics (INSEA), the Francophone University Agency (AUPELF-UREF) and the UN Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA).

The UNFPA representative stressed that each developing country has its own demographic transition model which is intrinsically linked to other transitions in economy, society, health, information and communication.

Around one hundred searchers from 20 African, Asian, American and European countries are debating themes related to family planning, reproductive health, migrations, population policies and the status of women. Three work sessions will focus on Morocco's demography and south-south cooperation.