"It is expected that, by 2050, our population will increase from the current 35 million to close to 70 million, already assuming a reduction in the fertility rate – one of the highest in the world – from around 5.4 children per woman to 3.2", said this Thursday the Secretary of State for Planning, Luís Epalanga.
According to the official, the reduction in the country's fertility rate should guarantee a sustainable future for Angola, because the measure should allow the population to grow at a pace that allows better living conditions for all Angolans.
"This is crucial to boosting our demographic dividend as a true source of wealth and development. A special focus on education and strongly improving access to contraception will be key", he said.
Luís Epalanga, who spoke at the celebration of World Population Day, which takes place this Thursday, also highlighted that the National Development Plan (PDN) 2023-2027 defined as one of the main priorities the "adaptation of demographic dynamics to the potential country's economy".
Angolan economists estimate that annual population growth in the country varies between 3 percent and 3.5 percent, a situation that "significantly puts pressure on the supply of products in the economy".
To adapt demographic dynamics to economic potential, the Ministry of Planning and the United Nations Population Fund defined a joint action plan.
The Secretary of State for Planning assured, in his speech, that the aforementioned plan will allow the preparation of the National Plan for the Use of the Demographic Dividend in Angola, based on the results of the 2024 General Population and Housing Census, the start of which was rescheduled for September 19th.
He also indicated that within the framework of the PDN 2023-2027, priority will be given to projects in the areas of gender equality, vulnerable populations and environmental sustainability.
"With this instrument (National Plan for the Use of the Demographic Dividend), we are convinced that the country will reinforce the necessary policy measures to face the challenges arising from a growing and mostly young population", he stressed.
