Brazil, the world's fifth largest country in land area, also ranks fifth in total population size, with 156.7 million persons in 1993. Among the 45 countries of the Latin American and Caribbean region, Brazil ranks number one in population and land area, with its population size greatly exceeding that of its neighbors and accounting for one-third of the region's population (figure 1). Brazil's population more than tripled in size since 1950, but fertility decline reduced the average annual growth rate from a peak of over 2.9 per­cent in the 1950's to 1.4 percent in the early 1990's. The absolute population increase peaked in the late 1980's and is now declining. Currently, Brazil is adding about 2.3 million people to its population each year.