Global Demography, Migration, and Social Issues

Global Demography

  • Demography: Study of people, focusing on population size, structure, birth/death rates, and migration.
  • Current world population: ~8.1 billion (2025).
    • Asia: ~4.8 billion (58.74%), India: ~1.46 billion, China: ~1.42 billion
  • Population growth is slowing down: ~2% in the 1960s to <1% in 2025.
  • Main Demographic Trends:
    • Fertility: Fewer children in rich countries, more in poorer countries.
    • Aging: Increased life expectancy, more older than younger people.
    • Urbanization: >50% of the world's population lives in urban areas.
    • Migration: Movement within or between countries.
  • Impacts: Economic, educational, urban growth, healthcare, environmental, socio-cultural.

Global Migration

  • Global migration: Movement across international borders for settlement.
  • Migrant: Person moving from one place to another.
  • Categories:
    • Tourist: Travels for pleasure, stays at least one night.
    • Vagabond: Wanders without a fixed home.
    • Refugee: Flees country due to conflict/persecution.
    • Asylum seeker: Seeks protection in another country.
    • Labor migrant: Moves for employment.
  • Push Factors (reasons to leave):
    • Economic hardship, political instability, social/environmental issues.
  • Pull Factors (reasons to go):
    • Economic opportunities, social/cultural benefits, political stability.
  • Migration: Movement with intention of settling in a new location.
  • Push and Pull Factors:
    • Push: Political persecution, economic depression, war, famine.
    • Pull: Favorable immigration policy, labor shortage, similar language/culture.
  • Diaspora: Group sharing origin but living outside homeland.
    • Virtual Diaspora: Online connections sharing heritage.

Sustainable Development

  • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 17 goals addressing global challenges.
  • Examples: No poverty, zero hunger, good health, quality education, gender equality.
  • History: Born at Rio+20 in 2012: SDGs replace MDGs, adopted in 2015 as Agenda 2030.

Global Food Security

  • Global food security: Access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food for a healthy life.
  • Food insecurity: Rising due to climate change, conflict, poverty, inefficiencies.
  • Impact: Poor health, stunted growth, lower cognitive development, instability.
  • Causes:
    • Climate Change: Disrupts food production.
    • Economic Inequality: Poverty and unemployment limit access to food.
    • Poor Infrastructure and Waste: 1/3 of food is lost/wasted.
  • Recommendations:
    • Reduce food waste via campaigns and retailer donations.
    • Sustainable agriculture: Climate-smart practices, support for smallholder farmers.
      Innovation: Digital tools for forecasting, monitoring, and transparency.

Human Trafficking

  • Human trafficking: Recruitment/movement of people through coercion for exploitation.
  • Sex Trafficking: Trafficking for sexual exploitation.
  • Labor Trafficking: Forced labor through force, fraud, or coercion.
  • Domestic Servitude: Forced domestic work without freedom or fair pay.
  • Debt Bondage: Forced labor to pay off unreasonable debt.
  • Forced Marriage: Marriage without full consent.
    • Driven by poverty, tradition, control; leads to servitude/exploitation.
  • Forced Criminal Activities: Victims compelled to commit crimes.
  • Organ Trafficking: Illegal trade of human organs. WHO estimates 5,000 illegal transplants annually.
  • Child Soldiers: Use of individuals <18 by armed groups; includes combat and support roles.
  • Alice Guo:
    • Issue: Involved in illegal POGO hub linked to human trafficking and cybercrime.
    • Possible Violations: Falsification of documents, immigration laws, graft, anti-trafficking, local governance code.

Cases of OFW and Illegal Entries

  • OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker): Filipino migrant worker employed abroad.
    • ~2.16 million OFWs in 2023.
    • Remittances: 8.3% of Philippines' GDP in 2024.
  • Reasons for working overseas:
    • Poverty, economic motivation, career growth, high employment rates.
  • Common Problems of OFWs:
    • Abuse, especially affecting female OFWs (75.1% of reported cases).
  • Government Actions to Protect OFWs:
    • Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Act, legal framework, education, assistance, international cooperation.
  • Illegal Entries:
    • Laws: Immigration Act of 1940, Republic Act No. 8247
      Deportation: Illegal entrants are deported and blacklisted.
      Criminal Charges: Harboring illegal aliens.
  • Examples: Overstaying visa, false documentation, illegal recruitment.