Demographics and Human Resources

Global Challenges Excerpt from the 2010 State of the Future reports

This section includes indicators that can measure change for the following challenges:

Population and Resources

How can population growth and resources be brought into balance? [Challenge 3]

Health

How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and immune microorganisms be reduced?[Challenge 8]

Status of Women

How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition? [Challenge 11]


Population and Resources

How can population growth and resources be brought into balance? [Challenge 3]

 -- Indicators --

The suggested indicators for this challenge were:

  1. Demographic measures: e.g. population growth and fertility rates
  2. Levels of urbanization and population density
  3. Resources available (quantity and quality) per capita per region
  4. Per capita consumption of various resources
  5. Ratio between commercial land development and effective open land used to maintain valuable ecosystem
  6. Female literacy and access by women to education, communications and credit
  7. Assessments of the effectiveness of family planning programs
  8. Assessment of the adequacy of basic needs: food, shelter, security, health
  9. Per capita health measures: doctors, nurses and other health service providers
  10. Number of persons educated in programs on early childhood care and development
  11. Extent of counter-material consumption advertising
  12. Number of environmental refugees and displaced persons
  13. Consumption rates of tobacco and animal fats and the degenerative diseases they promote

The indicators most highly rated as per their usefulness and availability were:
[The numbers in parentheses represent the order number of the indicator in the list above.]

  1. Demographic measures: e.g. population growth and fertility rates (1)
  2. Levels of urbanization and population density (2)
  3. Per capita health measures: doctors, nurses and other health service providers (9)
  4. Female literacy and access by women to education, communications and credit (6)
  5. Resources available (quantity and quality) per capita per region (3)
  6. Per capita consumption of various resources (4)
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Health

How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and immune microorganisms be reduced? [Challenge 8]

 -- Indicators --

The suggested indicators for this challenge were:

  1. Frequency and intensity of new infestations/infections
  2. Number of people vaccinated, by disease and place of residence, including the percentage of vaccinations paid for by states
  3. Epidemiological use of hospital records
  4. Mortality rates by causes
  5. Pandemic frequencies (and locations, and those affected
  6. Number, size, and percentage of research programs designed to identify, deal with, and track immune microorganisms, viruses and globally relevant diseases
  7. Inventory immune strains of microorganisms and viruses
  8. Analysis of disease control mechanisms by nations
  9. Assessment of preventive actions and support for public health systems
  10. Extent of media coverage of this issue
  11. Number of scientists and technicians employed to detect and combat epidemics
  12. Rates of use of antibiotics
  13. Percentage of health budget assigned to preventive health and health education
  14. Life quality indicators
  15. Percentage of safe food and water, green foods and goods supply
  16. Number of Physicians and health care facilities per inhabitant
  17. Measurements of AIDS deaths and HIV prevalence

The indicators most highly rated as per their usefulness and availability were:
[The numbers in parentheses represent the order number of the indicator in the above list.]

  1. Mortality rates by causes (4)
  2. Pandemic frequencies (5)
  3. Number of people vaccinated, by disease and geography, including the percentage paid for by states (2)
  4. Physicians and health care facilities per capita (16)
  5. Frequency and intensity of new infestations/infections (1)
  6. Measurements of AIDS deaths and HIV prevalence (17)
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Status of Women

How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition? [Challenge 11]

 -- Indicators --

The suggested indicators for this challenge were:

  1. Rate of gender violence
  2. Female literacy and access by women to education, communications and credit
  3. Women's socioeconomic status correlated with overall quality of life level
  4. Assessment of reform of inheritance rights for women
  5. Assessments of the effectiveness of family planning programs
  6. Ratio of women to men in various occupations and management levels
  7. Comparison of pay for similar work by men and women
  8. Number of women in international, national, regional, state and local government; % of women in policymaking and decisionmaking
  9. Number of women and children in poverty
  10.  Percentage of women who are head families
  11. Assessment of family problems with young people especially
  12. Assessment of age and gender related laws, safety nets, and biases
  13. Number of discrimination and harassment suits
  14. Number of international agreements and declarations related to the status of women, and ratified, by countries and regions
  15. Focused welfare statistics of minority groups
  16. Surveys of how people feel about their own groups and minority groups, and about their expectations
  17. Comparison of school scores or achievement tests between male and female students
  18. Extent of loans and credits to women
  19. Reform of inheritance rights for women
  20. Assessment of progress toward Platform for Action, passed by the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing 1995
  21. Number of NGOs related to gender justice and that promote gender, and age group equality
  22. Rate of births at adolescent mothers

Additional indicators suggested after ratings:

  1. Number of abortions conducted on female vs. male fetuses
  2.  Percentage of maternal mortality rates
  3. Number of girls to boys who do not complete primary education
  4. Assessment of women’s rights to using conception or deciding on the number of children they wish to have.

The indicators most highly rated as per their usefulness and availability were:
[The number in brackets represent the order number of the indicator in the original (above) list.]

  1. Female literacy and access by women to education, communications and credit (2)
  2. Number of women and children in poverty (9)
  3. Assessments of the effectiveness of family planning programs (5)
  4. Comparison of pay for similar work by men and women (7)
  5. Number of women in international, national, regional, state and local government; % of women in policy making and decision making (8)
  6. Ratio of women to men in various occupations and management levels (6)
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