TABLE 1 PROJECTION TO YEAR 2000 (MARSHALL ISLANDS) TOTAL 0-1 4 15-64 65-0v er 1979 1981 1985 1990 2000 28 ,720 13,270 14,290 1,160 30,710 13,990 15 ,466 1,260 35 ,580 15,960 18,190 1,430 42,510 19,140 21,770 1,600 60 , 330 27 , 740 30 , 830 1,760 (Sour ce: TIPI Five Year Comprehensive Health Plan, April 1, 1980) According to the M.I. Five Year Health Plan, between 1967-1973 the Marshall Islands grew at an estimated annual growth rate of 4.4%. For that period this was the highest growth in all of the Trust Territory (the birth rate for 1970-1975 was estimated at 42.32 per 1000 population as compared to a 34.52 average for the whole TTPI). Growth rates for the post-1975 period are difficult to determine since the 1977 unofficial census has questionable accuracy, yet it seems to have fallen down in the Marshall Islands to around a 3.5% annual growth rate (still high by any standards). A more precise picture of the population distribution can be gleaned from an analysis of Table 2 which shows the age/sex composition of the population as of 1973 (the last time this information was assessed). TABLE 2 POPULATION OF MARSHALL ISLANDS BY AGE AND SEX (1973) All Persons/Percentages Age Group 0-4 5-9 10 - 14 15 - 19 Total Male Female 19.3 15.9 12.5 11.3 19.6 16 .0 12.2 11.0 18.8 15.8 12.9 11.7 20 25 30 35 - 24 29 34 39 8.5 6.4 4.2 3.7 8.7 6.3 4.6 3.7 8.3 6.6 3.9 3.7 40 45 50 55 - 44 49 54 59 3.4 3.1 3.0 2.6 3.6 3.0 2.9 2.7 3.1 3.2 3.0 2.6 60 65 70 75 & 64 69 74 over 2.1 1.4 1.0 1.5 2.1 1.3 0.9 1.4 2.1 1.6 1.2 1.6 (Source: TTPI Five Year Comprehensive Health Plan, April 1, 1980) ?