ABSTRACT
Population growth and educational and health care development affect and are affected by each other: rapid population growth constrains a country's ability to improve its human resource base, while poor coverage, low quality and minimal use o f public services is itself a major cause o f sustained population growth. This Chapter will consider the effects that population growth would have on educational and healthcare provision. The Alternative Scenario approach will illustrate that a reduction in the birth rates currently experienced by the Gulf States, would reduce the burden that the governments would have to bear with respect to student and patient numbers, demand for facilities and hence reduce the overall cost o f providing educational and health care services.
