Introduction

Abstract

Population growth and income distribution are two politically sensitive topics. Leading politicians have rather divergent opinions on the desirability of policies aimed at influencing the distribution of incomes and policies designed to alter the rate of population growth. Decisions on these two topics, whether or not to develop a redistributive program and whether or not to adopt a population policy, are usually made independently. But recent scientific research indicates that the two topics are related. On the one hand, it has been argued that a redistribution of income from rich to poor households will lower the fertility and mortality of a population (see e.g. Repetto 1979, and Rodgers 1979). And on the other hand, a number of studies have shown that changes in the age structure of a population (and hence, the rate of population growth) influence the distribution of incomes (see e.g. Paglin 1975, Kuznets 1976, and Schultz 1981a).