Population estimated at 199.7m

Population estimated at 199.7m

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's population at the start of 1997 was
officially estimated at 199.7 million, the National Family
Planning Board said yesterday.

Board chairman Haryono Suyono said in a statement that this is
an impressive achievement, considering that before Indonesia
launched the family planning campaign in 1969, experts had
predicted the population would reach 280 million by the turn of
the century.

The population will increase by the 300,000 needed to top 200
million some time in early February, Haryono said.

The figure came from the United Nations' low-to medium
estimates for Indonesia, he said.

Since 1969 the average number of children in an Indonesian
family has dropped from six to 2.6. In the same time, the infant
mortality rate has plummeted from 145 in every 1,000 births to
between 50 and 55, he said.

Indonesia ranks fourth largest in the world in terms of
population, according to UN estimates, after China (1.249
billion), India (953 million) and the United States (263.6
million). (emb)