PREFACE -- CONTENTS -- FIGURES -- TABLES -- SUMMARY -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- ACRONYMS -- Chapter One THE DEBATE OVER THE EFFECTS OF POPULATION GROWTH ON ECONOMIC GROWTH -- THE "PESSIMISTIC" THEORY: POPULATION GROWTH RESTRICTS ECONOMIC GROWTH -- THE "OPTIMISTIC" THEORY: POPULATION GROWTH CAN FUEL ECONOMIC GROWTH -- THE "NEUTRALIST" THEORY: POPULATION GROWTH HAS NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH -- THE IMPORTANCE OF AGE STRUCTURE -- Chapter Two DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITIONS AND THE "DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND" -- THE DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION: DECLINING MORTALITY AND FERTILITY -- The Demographic "Dividend" -- Chapter Three CASE STUDIES OF POPULATION CHANGE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH -- EAST ASIA -- JAPAN -- NORTH AMERICA, WESTERN EUROPE, AUSTRALIA, AND NEW ZEALAND -- SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ASIA -- LATIN AMERICA -- MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA -- SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA -- EASTERN EUROPE AND THE FORMER SOVIET UNION -- Chapter Four THE IMPORTANCE OF THE POLICY ENVIRONMENT -- HEALTH EQUALS WEALTH -- POPULATION POLICY AND THE FAMILY -- POLICIES FOR LABOR AND FINANCIAL MARKETS, AND HUMAN CAPITAL -- POLICIES FOR THE FUTURE: PLANNING FOR AN OLDER POPULATION -- Chapter Five CONCLUSIONS -- REFERENCES -- ADDITIONAL READING -- INDEX -- ABOUT THE AUTHORS.