The ad hoc Consultative Group of Experts on Population Policy, set up by the Population Commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, has included in population policy measures and programmes designed to contribute to the achievement of economic, social, demographic, political and other collective goals, through affecting critical demographic variables, namely, the size and growth of population, its geographic distribution national and international) and its demographic characteristics.”

It has also been suggested that it should include measures and programmes that are likely to affect critical demographic variables as well as those specifically designed to do so, thus covering both direct and indirect measures affecting these variables.

Three principal features of any population policy have been outlined by Berelson. The first feature is the action taken by Government, in the form of a statement of position, laws, decrees or administrative programmes.

It is also possible to consider population policies of both smaller and large entities; for instance, of ethnic groups, of the United Nations or of religious communities such as the Roman Catholics or the Muslims.

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The second feature of any population policy is that it covers population events. The third feature is that it refers to both the intentions and consequences, that is, the actions that are designed to alter population events or actually do alter them.

Of particular importance, in the context of population policy, are the three components of population change fertility, mortality and migration because all demographic variables are influenced only through them.

It is, therefore, necessary to discuss population policy with respect to these three components of population change, with special reference to the direction of change expected to be brought about, while illustrating them from the population policies of various countries.

Often, however, a population policy is not explicitly stated, and is unarticulated in the formal sense; yet it is implied in many of the programmes or legislative measures which the Government undertakes.

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The absence of quantitative goals need not be taken as an absence of a population policy.