The Population Division is responsible for global monitoring of government views and policies on key population issues, such as population size and growth, population age structure, fertility, reproductive health and family planning, health and mortality, spatial distribution, and internal and international migration. Monitoring of government views and policies on population issues is important for tracking progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, and other internationally agreed development goals that are related to population, including the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Population Division is also responsible for implementing the United Nations Inquiry among Governments on Population and Development, established in 1963 at the request of the Commission on Population and Development. Between 1963 and 2019, the Secretary-General has conducted 12 rounds of the Inquiry. The Inquiries have been a unique and invaluable research tool in monitoring national population policies. The United Nations Twelfth Inquiry among Governments on Population and Development was conducted during 2018-2019.
The Population Division has created and maintains a comprehensive World Population Policies Database , going back to the mid-1970s.
The World Population Policies Database provides comprehensive and up-to-date information on the population policy situation and trends for all Member States and non-member States of the United Nations. The Database is updated biennially by conducting a detailed country-by-country review of national plans and strategies, programme reports, legislative documents, official statements and various international, inter-governmental and non-governmental sources, as well as by using official responses to the United Nations Inquiry among Governments on Population and Development. The web-interface for the Database allows users to run custom data queries on population policies and selected demographic and socioeconomic indicators for all countries and selected time points between 1976 and 2015, create graphs and maps, and generate country profiles. The 2017 revision of the World Population Policies focused on abortion laws and policies in all countries of the world. The 2019 revision of the World Population Policies focused on international migration policies and programmes in 111 countries that responded to the module on international migration (module III) of the United Nations Twelfth Inquiry among Governments on Population and Development.
The 2017 revision of the World Population Policies focused on abortion laws and policies in all countries of the world. The 2019 revision of the World Population Policies focused on international migration policies and programmes in 111 countries that responded to the module on international migration (module III) of the United Nations Twelfth Inquiry among Governments on Population and Development.
World Population Policies 2019: International Migration Policies and Programmes A repository of policies and programmes related to international migration based on Government responses to the module on international migration (module III) of the United Nations Twelfth Inquiry among Governments on Population and Development
World Population Policies 2017: Abortion Laws and Policies A global repository of current abortion laws and policies for all countries in the world.
World Population Policies 1976-2015 An interactive online database containing population policy information for all countries since the mid-1970s.