Emily Gillis Period 3

Japan and Mali Comparison

Where Are We?

Located in Eastern Asia Japan is an island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the
Sea of Japan just east of the Korean Peninsula. Its terrain consists of mostly mountains,
but because it is an island chain, trade is easy.

Japan in 2009
With a population of 127,078,679 in July of 2009, Japan is a developed country. It has a
stable population with a growth rate of just under zero. This means that its birth rate does
not exceed its death rate. Actually, Japan has a slightly higher death rate, but it is so
minimal that it is not a cause for concern. For the most part, Japan's population is made
up of primarily middle-aged people between the ages of 15-65.

Mali in 2009
The pyramid-shaped graph to the right depicts Mali’s population in 2009. Mali is a
developing country of only 12,666,987 people. Almost fifty percent of this number is
under 15 years old. The median age for the country is only 15.8 years old! But in
generations to come, the large number of younger people in the country will age and
begin having children of their own. The current growth rate of 2.765% will increase
further.

How Are They Different?

When looking solely at numerical data, one may think that Mali’s population of
12,666,987 people is better than Japan’s large population of 127,078,679 people. But in
reality, the growth rate is largely more important. Japan has a -0.2% growth rate, while
Mali has a staggering 2.765% growth rate. And Mali’s birth rate will probably continue
to grow judging by its age distribution. Over half of the country’s population is not in the
age group to reproduce yet, while Japan’s younger generation are, in contrast, the
smallest distribution of people in the country. Japan is clearly the more developed
country due to its stable population and economy, but given time Mali may work its way
into this category also.

How Will Japan Change?

Over the course of 20 years, Japan’s large population of 127,078,679 is predicted to
decrease slightly to 114,411,000 people by 2029. This should be excepted due to the
negative growth rate recorded in 2009. The growth rate will again shrink to a predicted
-0.8% growth rate by 2029. Although fewer babies will be born, people are predicted to
live longer. Also, there seems to be more people in their early fifties then any other age
group in 2029.

How will Mali Change?

Mali will become more stable in 20 years. Its population will increase over 8,753,000
people from the 2009 statistic of 13,443,000 people. At the new population of nearly 23
million people, Mali’s large number percent of young people have grown and began
having families of their own, causing this country to continue developing. There are now
Emily Gillis Period 3

not only more middle-aged people, but also a boost in the country’s birthrate.
Furthermore, people in Mali are expected to live to an average of 60 years, 8 more than
20 years earlier.

What Factors Influence This Change?

1. Economy – Mali’s economic growth has been broadly favorable in recent years,
averaging 5.1% per year for the 2003-07 period, driven primarily by gold mining,
and transport and telecommunications services. Mali’s economy took a hit in
2007 due to unfavorable weather conditions and technical difficulties that affected
gold production and despite a difficult international environment in 2008, Mali’s
economy has remained stable
2. Living standards – Poverty in Mali is a huge issue. But between 2001 and 2006, it
is estimated that the share of the population living in poverty fell nationally from
55.6% to 47.5%. If this pattern of a 8%/5 yrs continues, over the course of 20
years the poverty level could be in the teens.
3. Healthcare – Malians are at a very high risk to many diseases including
-bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
-malaria
-schistosomiasis
-meningococcal meningitis (2009)
These illnesses are beginning to be managed due to advances in medicine outside the
country that is being brought in in an attempted to prevent the spread of these infectious
diseases.

Could technology change the predicted populations?

How would Mali’s population be affected if all infectious diseases from the country
were cured?
Mali’s population would be greatly affected if all diseases that are currently plaguing the
nation were removed from the country. People of Mali are not expected to live past their
50th birthday, but if illness was no longer causing thousands of premature deaths a year,
this would no longer be the case. Malians would be able to live for decades without
having the fears they currently have. Right now, doing something as simple as drinking
water could kill a person.
Although the idea of a disease-less nation may sound terrific, it could also produce
problems. The population would obviously increase tremendously in the country. With a
poverty rate of over 50% currently, it is clear that finding ways to make money in this
developing country is not easy. If more people are added to the already competitive job
market, this rate of poverty is likely to increase. Also, there is no easy way to import food
and other goods into this primarily desert, landlocked country. Increasing the population
at a higher-than-natural rate would cause a drop in things needed to live such as food and
water supply. The idea of curing all disease in the country may sound beneficial, but in
the larger picture it will end up hurting this developing nation.