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Sunday, November 15, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Population
COSTA RICA: Nicaraguan Immigrants, Scapegoats for Local Woes
Nicaraguans suffer heavy discrimination in Costa Rica, where xenophobic sentiments are worsening as locals blame immigrants for rising unemployment, deterioration of the social fabric, and the weakening of what has historically been a strong welfare state, warn researchers.COSTA RICA: Nicaraguan Immigrants, Scapegoats for Local Woes
Nicaraguans suffer heavy discrimination in Costa Rica, where xenophobic sentiments are worsening as locals blame immigrants for rising unemployment, deterioration of the social fabric, and the weakening of what has historically been a strong welfare state, warn researchers.ARGENTINA: Support Groups for Families with Loved Ones Abroad
The emigration of thousands of Argentines, mainly young people, who are fleeing the economic collapse in their country and the consequent lack of jobs and opportunities, has led to a mushrooming of support groups for mothers and other family members left behind.ARGENTINA: Support Groups for Families with Loved Ones Abroad
The emigration of thousands of Argentines, mainly young people, who are fleeing the economic collapse in their country and the consequent lack of jobs and opportunities, has led to a mushrooming of support groups for mothers and other family members left behind.CUBA: Gov’t Invites Exile Community to New Talks
A new meeting with Cuban emigrés convened by the government of Fidel Castro for April will give representatives of the Cuban exile community an opportunity to express their interest in easier access to and from this socialist Caribbean island nation.REFUGEES: Shortfall Leaves UNHCR Humanitarian Operations at Risk
Financial shortfalls threaten to interrupt a large portion of the United Nations refugee agency's humanitarian operations in November, creating a cloud of pessimism over the 114 countries and nearly 20 million people that benefit from this international aid.ITALY-LATAM: Gov’t Pledges to Help Descendants of Emigrants
The Italian government is determined to continue reaching out to the roughly 40 million descendants of Italians living in Latin America, although it encourages them to remain in the countries where they were born.REFUGEES: Shortfall Leaves UNHCR Humanitarian Operations at Risk
Financial shortfalls threaten to interrupt a large portion of the United Nations refugee agency's humanitarian operations in November, creating a cloud of pessimism over the 114 countries and nearly 20 million people that benefit from this international aid.INDONESIA: Muslims Watch How Bali Accusations Play out
Salim Umar, a Muslim preacher in Bandung, says the Bali bombings are ''not a religious matter at all'', so he did not discuss them at the mosque at Friday prayers.LABOUR-BANGLADESH: Social Costs Undercut Economic Windfall
Faruque Ahmed, a retired employee of the Bangladesh Army, went to take up a mechanic's job with Saudi Arabia's defence ministry in 1986, leaving behind his pregnant wife.RIGHTS-JAPAN: Debate over Surnames Upsets Old Gender Roles
Tomoko Maeda, 40, had a dream wedding six years ago. She and her "spouse" paid almost 20,000 U.S. dollars for the celebration that included a white wedding dress, a church ceremony, and a party with 80 guests with a champagne dinner at a posh hotel.RIGHTS-JAPAN: Debate over Surnames Upsets Old Gender Roles
Tomoko Maeda, 40, had a dream wedding six years ago. She and her "spouse" paid almost 20,000 U.S. dollars for the celebration that included a white wedding dress, a church ceremony, and a party with 80 guests with a champagne dinner at a posh hotel.FOOD: Venezuela Turns to South-South Cooperation to Fight Hunger
The government of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, where hunger plagues one out of six people, has turned to formulas of South-South cooperation and assistance to achieve food security and sovereignty at home, and help other developing countries do the same.FOOD: Venezuela Turns to South-South Cooperation to Fight Hunger
The government of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, where hunger plagues one out of six people, has turned to formulas of South-South cooperation and assistance to achieve food security and sovereignty at home, and help other developing countries do the same.RIGHTS-ASIA: Experts Tackle Supply, Demand in Trafficking
She considers herself among the lucky ones, 'Ai', a Thai woman in her early thirties who was saved by a Catholic nun after 10 years of virtual sexual slavery in Japan.RIGHTS-ASIA: Experts Tackle Supply, Demand in Trafficking
She considers herself among the lucky ones, 'Ai', a Thai woman in her early thirties who was saved by a Catholic nun after 10 years of virtual sexual slavery in Japan.PHILIPPINES: Letter-writing Keeps Migrant Workers Going
''I wonder why I am here in this hot city?'' Edna, a Filipino single mother of two, wrote in the wee hours of the morning from her tiny room in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she has been working as a domestic worker for two years.PHILIPPINES: Letter-writing Keeps Migrant Workers Going
"I wonder why I am here in this hot city?" Edna, a Filipino single mother of two, wrote in the wee hours of the morning from her tiny room in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she has been working as a domestic worker for two years.PHILIPPINES: Returning Workers Find Few Prospects at Home
-áEloina Reyes Rebollos can perhaps count as her greatest accomplishment in life the fact that she has sent countless nieces and nephews to school, including one who is now an engineer, another a nurse, and yet another, a social worker.PHILIPPINES: Returning Workers Find Few Prospects at Home
áEloina Reyes Rebollos can perhaps count as her greatest accomplishment in life the fact that she has sent countless nieces and nephews to school, including one who is now an engineer, another a nurse, and yet another, a social worker.POPULATION-JAPAN: Govt Acts to Stem Falling Birth Rates
The steady decline in birth rates is forcing Japan's male-dominated society to rethink the merits of its traditional gender roles, once touted as the backbone of the country's post-war economic miracle.« Previous Page — Next Page »
One Thousand Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Relocated from Tomping Camp in South Sudan. Credit: UN Photo/Isaac Billy
It took hundreds of thousands of years for the world’s human population to cross one billion in 1804. Approximately 200 years later, the population has multiplied sevenfold. In 2023, the global population crossed 8 billion, and is expected to reach 9 billion before 2050. With the planet more crowded than ever, it is essential to keep track of population trends, urbanization, migration, and reproduction across the world.
Life expectancy has seen significant strides in the past century, largely due to economic development and increased standards of living. On the contrary, trends in global fertility are shifting, with certain regions in Africa and Asia reporting higher rates, while parts of Europe and North America report stagnant or lower rates. This is in part due to differences in sexual and reproductive healthcare, as well as societal and economic conditions around the world. For example, child marriage is prevalent in certain societies, where childbearing is also considered a familial duty. Meanwhile, stagnating economies frequently experience lower marriage and childbearing rates.
The increase in migration and urban development around the world is also linked to global population trends. By 2050, it is expected that approximately 66 percent of all people will live in cities. Furthermore, global crises such as warfare and natural disasters also prompt transnational migration. Transnational migration is linked to a variety of socioeconomic issues in both host and receiving countries: migrants often leave developing countries with less access to educational and economic opportunities and arrive in developed countries where they are frequently the targets of ethnic, racial, and cultural discrimination, and economic exploitation. Recent crises in Europe and the United States demonstrate the importance of advocating for migrants worldwide. As migrants from the Global South are increasingly stripped of their legal and civic rights in unlawful deportations, or targeted in acts of identity-based violence, it is essential to keep track of population trends and protect the human rights of migrant populations. Climate-related disasters are now a major driver of displacement, with nearly half of all new internal displacements in 2025 being disaster-related.
IPS is devoted to covering issues surrounding population trends, migration, and reproduction through its compelling articles, which use both statistics and human stories to provide readers with robust and informative viewpoints.
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