sources which had been available at relatively low cost in the 1970s. As many of these countries went through wrenching fiscal adjustments during the Decade, such an adverse situation of external financing continued to put pressure on public investment programmes in the area of water supply, sanitation and other urban and rural infrastructures. 13. Population growth, at a time of sluggish economic expansion or stagnation, has been a significant factor contributing to deteriorating living standards and the ever increasing demand r. clean water and sanitation in many developing count.ries. During the '. half of the 198Os, the population in developing countries increased at orage rate of 2.1 per cent per annum, as compared to 0.6 per cent per annum in ,..e developed market economies. The rate of population growth in Africa was higher than in any other region, reaching 3 per cent for the period 1980-1985. 11 The population of developing countries is considered to have increased by 754 million during the 1980s. /. . .A/45/327 English Page 5 14. An important aspect of the population growth during the Decade was migration from rural to urban areas in developing countries. As a result, urban population in developing countries of the world grew at 3.6 per cent a year, more than twice as rapidly as rural population, which grew et 1.5 per cent. a/ Above all, an explosive increase of urban population was registered in mega-cities such as Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Shanghai. 15. The magnitude of the impact of population growth on the provision of water supply and sanitation services to urban areas is evident from the fact that in the case of Africa, for instance, approximately 6.9 million additional people had to be provided with water and 5.4 million with sanitation each year in order to maintain
**Analysis**
The text primarily discusses the impact of population growth on urban areas, specifically in developing countries, and its effects on the provision of water supply and sanitation services. It also mentions the economic constraints faced by these countries, such as fiscal adjustments and external financing pressures. This suggests that the text is more focused on the economic and social implications of population growth, rather than purely environmental or scientific aspects.

**Category**
Economic development, Health