Last Updated: Nov 1, 2007 - 3:11:34 PM


More than half in towns: Census
By fijitimes.com
Nov 1, 2007 - 3:04:25 PM

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Referring to the provisional results of the 2007 population and housing census, Mr Waqavonovono said during the 1986 census, 39 per cent of the total population lived in urban areas.

The figure went up to 46 per cent in 1996 and 51 per cent this year. The population in rural areas went from 61 per cent in 1986 to 54 per cent in 1996 to 49 per cent this year.

Fiji Council of Social Services executive director Hassan Khan said urbanisation was a global issue that should be dealt with sooner rather than later.

"Urbanisation is a reality and a fact of life for all countries and not just Fiji," he said.

"It's the rural areas which are going to suffer from urbanisation."

Mr Khan said development in terms of sports and tourism should be encouraged to help lower the mass migration out of the rural areas.

However, he said the lack of infrastructure shouldn't be a factor in influencing the shift from rural to urban areas.

Mr Khan said most Asian people went straight to the rural areas because they could go into farming.

He said this was what people living in rural areas should be doing instead of moving to urban areas.

National Federation Party general secretary Pramod Rae said migration as well as a low birth rate could be the cause of the drop in the Indian population.





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