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  • Title: Brazil.
    Author: United Nations. Department of International Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division, United Nations. Fund for Populaton Activiteis UNFPA.
    Journal: Popul Policy Compend; 1983 Jul; ():1-7. PubMed ID: 12266499.
    Abstract:
    Attention in this discussion of Brazil focuses: the history of the country's demographic situation; government's overall approach to population problems; population data systems and development planning; institutional arrangements for the integration of population within development planning; government's view of the importance of population policy in achieving development objectives; population size, growth, and natural increase; fertility; international migration; and spatial distribution. The population of Brazil grew from 17 million in 1900 to about 119 million in 1960, making it the most populous country in the world and 1 of the relatively few countries to have sustained rates of population growth of more than 2% for over a century. The government has not adopted an explicit policy to modify fertility or population growth. Initially this was because of its positive perception of the benefits of population growth and a large population size and, amore recently, because of Brazil's gradual transition to more moderate levels of fertility and population growth. Brazil's main sources of demographic data are its 9 censuses, conducted in 1982, 1890, 1900, 1920, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, and most recently in August 1980. A nationwide system of vital registration data are still lacking in many geographic areas, researchers have had to rely on indirect estimation techniques to derive estimates of past trends in fertility and mortality. Population policy has been regarded as a highly sensitive issue by Brazilian officials, and the government remains cautious in regard to population issues. Preliminary results of Brazil's 1980 census indicate a population of 119 million and an annual rate of population growth of 2.1%, continuing the downward trend that was first evident in 1976. The government considers levels and trends of population growth to be satisfactory, and morbidity and mortality to be unacceptable, partly because of a lack of success in reducing the incidence of certain infectious and parasitic diseases. Among the various programs that have been established to increase the coverage of health care services is the Program for Grass Roots Health and Sanitation Action in North-East Brazil. Brazil experienceed a substantial decline in fertility between 1970-80, with the crude birthrate falling by about 25% to below 30/1000 population. The government considers levels and trends of fertility to be satisfactory, both in relation to population growth and family well-being. Fertility control in Brazil has been essentially a private matter. Contraceptives are sold freely in pharmacies and have been widely used for decades by the middle and upper classes. Immigration ceased to be demographically significant about 1940. Brazil has never experienced large-scale emigration. The government considers both immigration and emigration to be not significant and satisfactory. Although the rate of aggregate population growth declined modestly after the 1960s, the rate of urbanization slowed down only very slightly. The government regards present patterns of spatial distribution to be inappropriate and to require substantial modification.
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