This release of the International Data Base included new demographic estimates and/or projections for all countries. The major changes made were as follows:
1. New data from censuses, surveys, and vital registration systems. New data have been analyzed and incorporated into these updated estimates and projections.
2. Revised trends for mortality change and upper limits on life expectancy. Most countries were assumed to follow a fixed pattern of change in life expectancy by sex based on the most recent level of mortality and observed changes in recent years. In addition, the upper limits to life expectancy were raised to 82.56 for males and 88.40 for females.
3. Revised trends for fertility change. For most countries, the long-term level of TFR was determined based on the most recent observed level:
Most recent level Long-term level TFR >= 3.0 2.0 2.0 <= TFR < 3.0 1.7 TFR < 2.0 1.7
4. Revised AIDS mortality. The number of countries where the impact of AIDS is explicitly included in our projections has been raised to 34 as follows:
Africa (26) Asia (3) LAC (5) *Benin Ethiopia Rwanda Burma *Bahamas Botswana *Gabon South Africa Cambodia Brazil Burkina Faso *Ghana Swaziland Thailand Guyana Burundi Kenya Tanzania Haiti Cameroon Lesotho *Togo Honduras CAR Malawi Uganda Cote d'Ivoire *Mozambique Zambia Congo (Brazzaville) Namibia Zimbabwe Congo (Kinshasa) Nigeria * Newly included since the last revision.
5. Revised U.S. projections. The U.S. data in this version of the IDB is based on the U.S. Census Burea's most recent "middle" projection series with the Armed Forces Overseas added. For more information on the U.S. projections, see the National Population Projections page.
Prior release notes: 12-29-99
