RI population to hit 318m in 2050

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's population is expected to reach 318 million by the halfway point of the next century.

President B.J. Habibie, in a ceremony here yesterday marking the July 11 World Population Day, said that it was important for Indonesians to maintain the success of the family planning program.

The current annual population growth rate in Indonesia is about 1.7 percent, or equivalent to about an additional three million each year.

Indonesia, with it 202 million people, is currently the world's fourth most populous country behind China, India and the United States.

According to Habibie, with a predicted population of 318 million in the year 2050, Indonesia will be ranked sixth behind India with an estimated 1.53 billion, China with 1.51 billion, Pakistan with 357 million, the United States with 348 million and Nigeria with 339 million.

However it remains to be seen whether Indonesia can maintain its minimal growth rate as there are already fears that lower- income families might forsake family planning due to their limited financial resources. (prb)