Philippine
Center for
Population and
Development
POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Op p o r t u n i t i e s . C h o i c e s . F u l f i l l m e n t .
WHAT IS THE POPULATION AND
DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK?
WHAT IS MEANT BY “POPULATION
PROCESSES?”
Commonly referred to as “popdev,” the
population and development framework is
a way of thinking about society and human
development.
Population processes are births, deaths
and migration, which is either inmigration
or outmigration. These processes affect
the size and other characteristics of a
population.
Popdev links population processes to
economic and human development and
underscores how this connection interacts
with each other to affect the wellbeing of
individuals, families, communities and
nations.
Births and inmigration contribute to
population increase, while deaths and
outmigration cause population size to
decrease.
If the total number of people being born and
settling in an area becomes greater than the
total number of people dying and leaving it,
population size will increase.
Conversely, if there are more deaths and
people leaving than births and people
settling in an area, population size will
decrease.
Age structure refers to the distribution
of a population among age groups. It
is the number, or percentage, of older
people, adults, and young people within a
population.
Kids at play ­ – there are some 31 million Filipino children
aged 15 years and below
In the Philippines, the older population
is composed of those aged 65 years and
above, adults are those who are from 25 to
64 years old, and young people are those
who are from 0 to 24 years old. Young
people are further classified as 0 to 14
years old and 15-24 years old. All these
population groups have very different needs
for growth, development, and wellbeing.
HOW DO POPULATION PROCESSES
AFFECT THE AGE-STRUCTURE OF A
POPULATION?
Philippines: Age-Sex Pyramid of Household Population
This concept is best illustrated by looking at
changes in a population pyramid, a graphical
representation of age structure.
Age Group
2010 Household Population: 92.1 million
85 and Over
80-84
75-79
70-74
In the example on the right, the pyramid shows
how young people, adults, and the older people
are distributed. Those aged 0-14 years are the
young dependents while those aged 65 years
and above are the old dependents.
65-69
Male
60-64
Female
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
The country’s population pyramid exhibits
varying shapes through time as the composition
of its people varies due to aging, and because of
births, deaths, and migration.
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
Under 5
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Percent to Household Population
Source: http://www.census.gov.ph/content/age-and-sex-structure-philippine-population-facts2010-census
The Philippines’ Population Pyramids Census Years
1970,1975, 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2007, and 2010
Source:http://www.nscb.gov.ph/beyondthenumbers/2012/11162012_jrga_popn.asp#fig2
WHY IS AGE STRUCTURE IMPORTANT IN
POPDEV?
A country faces a serious problem if its population has
more dependents than those who are economically
productive. In this situation, a high proportion of
government’s expenditure will be set aside for education,
health, and social security, which are needed mostly by
the youngest and the oldest members of the population.
Similarly, there are fewer people of working age who
can support them and provide them assistance for their
educational, health, and social security needs.
The age structure determines the capabilities and needs
of a particular group of a population. It also determines
the resources that should be made available to fulfill
these needs.
Adults – the working age population - are generally
considered as the economically productive members
since they are the ones who create goods and services.
The older people and children, who are either too old
or too young to work, are considered dependents.
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Still, it is best to keep in mind that there are significant
numbers of older people, those who are aged 65
and over, who are still working and are economically
productive. There are also those who are of working
age who are not actually working nor economically
productive due to various reasons.
HOW DOES POPDEV RELATE TO HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT?
Popdev views human development as the process of
enabling members of a population to have the capability
and the freedom to make choices that would lead to
their improved wellbeing.
This involves the capability “to do” and “to be” the
following (Popdeved Teaching Modules for Catholic
School, 2009):
All in a days’ work ­– a number of older people aged
65 years and over are still working
To be free from premature death (reduced mortality);
To be free from preventable illness (reduced morbidity);
To be well-nourished (improved nutritional status);
To be able to communicate ideas and feelings
(increased literacy);
To be knowledgeable and skillful (increased education
and training);
To be free from physical harm (improved security);
To do productive and rewarding work (increased
employment);
To enjoy nature in its pristine form (improved
environmental protection);
To enjoy interaction with friends, family and other
community members (reduction of stigma from, e.g.,
certain diseases and disabilities/inadequacies);
To migrate to take advantage of economic and social
opportunities (productive migration); and
To bear and rear children (achievement of desired
fertility).
WHAT IS HUMAN CAPITAL FORMATION AND
HOW DOES IT RELATE TO DEVELOPMENT?
A country’s greatest resource in its pursuit of
development is its people, its human resource. This
resource has to be transformed into human capital
capable of engaging in productive labor and producing
goods and services with economic value.
The process of transforming human resource into
human capital is called human capital formation. It
requires investing in education, health, and values
formation to make individuals fully productive so they
can contribute to the country’s economic growth and
development as well as achieve a better quality of life
for themselves and their families.
Human capital formation is directly related to human
development. This is clearly demonstrated through
the Human Development Index that the United Nations
uses in evaluating how countries are able to advance
the quality of life of their people.
The capability “to do” and “to be” is determined by
the range of choices that members can make as they
aspire for a long and healthy life and a decent standard
of living. It includes developing their potentials to the
fullest through human capital formation.
The HDI measures “development by combining
indicators of life expectancy, education, and income
(UNDP, 1990).” The life expectancy index shows the
country’s standard of health, the education attainment
index reflects its educational standard, and the income
index indicates the standard of living of its population.
Good standards of health and education and a high per
capita income point to increased investment in human
capital formation. The result of this is a population who
lives longer and healthier, with more education, and
has more access to goods and services.
Popdev views human development
as the process of enabling members
of a population to have the capability
and the freedom to make choices that
would lead to their improved wellbeing
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Human capital formation is a lifelong process. Investing
in education, for example, starts with preschool learning
during childhood and continues even in adulthood
through graduate studies and skills training and
upgrading. To facilitate learning and to stay productive
throughout adulthood, it is necessary to invest in goods
and services that will foster good health. Staying
productive, meanwhile, implies performing economic
activities that bring in income that can be used to
purchase goods and services for education, health
and nutrition, housing, and other needs necessary for
people to improve their lives.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS
FRAMEWORK?
Appreciating the interrelationships between population
processes and human development makes sense.
Doing so would allow us to plan for challenges that will
inevitably happen as populations change in number and
age structure. It is also key in ensuring that resources
needed for an improved quality of life are adequate visa-vis the size and characteristics of a population.
The presentation made here is a simplified one and
includes only the general ideas that define the popdev
framework. Reality involves a host of other, more
complex, factors that determine and influence the
needs and resources of a population. However, the
general framework provides a useful guide in looking at
the dynamics of population and human development.
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN
HUMAN CAPITAL?
When human capital investment is adequate, a
population will have members who are healthy and
well-educated. Together with values education that
emphasizes concern for their communities, these
members will be capable and willing to contribute to
the welfare of others. As individuals strive to become
productive citizens, they contribute, in turn, to the
overall productivity of society and its welfare. However,
if a population is unable to invest adequately in its
human resources, the productive members may
find it burdensome to support the whole population,
particularly its young and old dependents.
Finally, as the need for investment in human capital
is lifelong, so is the need to be aware of the complex
dynamics of population and development processes
that will affect societies and individuals everywhere.
An adult who has poor health, no education nor skills,
or who is in a situation with very few opportunities for
work and improvement will find it difficult to experience
wellbeing, much less contribute to the wellbeing of
others.
End Notes:
Albert, Jose Ramon G. “Understanding Changes in the Philippine
Population.” Beyond the Numbers. Accessed 13 November 2013. http://
www.nscb.gov.ph/beyondthenumbers/2012/11162012_jrga_popn.asp#fig2.
University of San Carlos Office of Population Studies Foundation.
Population and Development Education Teaching Modules for Catholic
School. Quezon City: Philippine Center for Population and Development ,
2014.
Republic of the Philippines. Philippine Statistical Agency. “The Age and
Sex Structure of the Philippine Population: Facts from the 2010 Census.”
Accessed 13 November 2013.
http://www.census.gov.ph/content/age-and-sex-structure-philippinepopulation-facts-2010-census.
United Nations Development Programme. “About Human Development.
Human Development Reports. Accessed 25 June 2014. http://hdr.undp.
org/en/humandev.
Education is key ­ – a well-educated population is
an indicator of a country’s quality of life
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