The suicide rate in French prisons has increased five-fold in 50 years, while remaining stable among the general population. The prison occupancy rates do not follow a parallel trend, so overcrowding cannot be the sole reason for this increase. Prisons contain many psychologically vulnerable...

n several countries of Eastern Europe, the sex ratio at birth is abnormally high. This is especially the case in the Southern Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) where it has sometimes exceeded 115 boys per 100 girls (a normal sex ratio is 105), and to a lesser extent in the Western...

On 1 January 1914, the population pyramid of France had a regular bell shape. It was then dented by military losses and a shortfall of births during the First World War. Today, the French population pyramid is returning to a more regular shape, and the century-long scars of WWI have practically...

Every other year, the summer issue of Population and Societies called The population of the world presents a global picture of the world population. The data shown here can be found in the World Population Data Sheet published by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB)

The world population is still growing. After topping 6 billion in 1999, it will reach 7 billion this year (2011) - an increase of 1 billion in the space of 12 years - and should total 8 billion by 2025, just 14 years from now. Population growth is slowing down, however: annual growth has fallen...

In 2010, there were 54 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in the world, 16% fewer than in 2000. The decline in early childbearing is associated with women's later marriage or entry into union, in turn a consequence of increased female school enrolment and women's enhanced status in society. In...

While economic slowdowns generally result in fewer births, the total fertility rate in France continued to increase in 2010 (2.00 children per woman versus 1.99 in 2009). The most recent recession occurred at a time when fertility was rising in most western nations. The recession reversed this...

The United States has the highest number of immigrants (foreign born persons) in the world, with a total of 43 million, six times more than Saudi Arabia (7.3 million) or Canada (7.2 million). However, relative to their population size,the two latter countries have twice as many immigrants: 28%...

The world population is ageing. Now that families are get-ting smaller and people are living for longer, the proportion of adults and old people is increasing while the proportion of young people is declining. Unless large families once again become the norm - an unrealistic long-term option,...

Despite the economic crisis, fertility in France remains high, with 1.98 children per woman on average in 2009, compared with 1.99 in 2008. Age at childbearing continues to increase, and women who gave birth in 2008 were aged 30.0 years on average, versus 29.9 in 2008. Over the last century, age...