But the transition is slower than in Asia and Latin America 30 to 40 years ago. In Africa, children are often raised by adults other than their parents, such as grandparents, uncles and aunts, who cover the costs of feeding and clothing them and sending them to school. Again, in Asia and Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s politicians, artists, religious authorities and opinion leaders all worked to promote the small family. Countries in Latin America, on the other hand, have generally not benefited because they did not create enough jobs to employ the additional numbers of working-age people. But while Asia and Latin America have moved towards smaller families, it was not in anticipation of a demographic dividend – the concept had yet to be invented.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 12, 2017 09:11 UTC