Iran records lower growth rate

The population growth rate in the Islamic Republic of Iran has fallen to 1.8%, according to the Deputy Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Training, Dr. H. Malek Afzali. The country's total population exceeds 64 million, with a population growth rate of 3%, according to the 1994 ESCAP Population Data Sheet. Dr. Malek Afzali said that, in 50,000 families surveyed from 22 May to 21 June 1994, the birth rate stood at 23 per 1000 and the mortality rate at 5 per 1000. He added that the number of births throughout the country in the year that ended on 21 March stood at 1,385,000, down from 2.2 million in the years before 1993. He said that the only thing to worry about in the growth of the country's population is the high number of people under 15 years of age, which is about 26 million. The present population under the age of 15 would make up 13 million couples within the next few years and, if they choose to have two children each, the country's population will increase by 26 million, he said. The Deputy Health Minister proposed that, in order to tackle the problem, training courses in family planning be set up for the young population. Later, on the occasion of World Population Day (11 July), the Director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Dr. Ali Larijani, emphasized the important role that radio and television could play to increase public knowledge and awareness through broadcasting programs on population growth and family planning.