Population Growth trends in Yemen and its Impact on Sustainable Human Development: A Study in Economic Geography

Abstract

Yemen has achieved good horizontal and vertical development during the last decade of the twentieth century until the dawn of the second decade of the twenty-first century, compared to the country's conditions before this period. Despite the challenges that accompanied it, either in terms of expanding social services and infrastructure or in terms of investments in the economic and human fields. This is an evident of achieving a better life and good sustainable development, despite the economic, social and political challenges that accompanied it, considering that what has been achieved has led to human capital being invested as being no less important than physical capital. Therefore, Yemen witnessed during the aforementioned a large population growth rate of about 3.5%, which resulted in doubling the population for each (24) years, and this percentage is estimated at about twice the annual economic growth rate of the country, estimated at (2.8%) during the same period. This led to curbing the process of sustainable human development, which resulted in lower rates of per capita income and increased unemployment of all kinds, for those of working age or university degree holders or higher, and the persistence of an increase in the average mortality of young and old people, and the growth of illiteracy rates, for those in basic and secondary education. In addition to the depletion of natural resources, the decline in their areas, their low adequacy and productive efficiency. This negatively affected both sustainable and comprehensive development plans. The study ends with a set of results and recommendations.