Populations in Transition

Populations in Transition

1. Birth Rates - Reasoning

   • High Birth Rate
     • children for labor
     • children to look after them in old age
     • children to continue the family name
     • children for prestige
     • children to replace other children who have died
     • children are net contributors to family income
   • Low Birth Rate
     • children are costly
     • the government looks after people through pensions and health services
     • women want careers
     • widespread use of family planning
     • decrease in infant mortality rate
     • changes/decline in traditional beliefs and customs

2. Population Pyramids

   • high death rate - concave sides
   • high birth rate - wide base
   • low birth rate - narrow base
   • low death rate - straight sides

3. Population Ages - Effects

   • Youthful Population
     • Advantages
       • large potential workforce
       • lower medical costs
       • attracted to new investments
       • source of new innovation
       • large potential market for selected goods
       • development of services i.e. schools and créches
     • Disadvantages
       • cost of supporting schools and clinics
       • need to provide sufficient food, housing, and water
       • large numbers in poor quality housing
       • high rates of unemployment
       • high rates of population growth
       • high crime rates
   • Aging Population
     • Advantages
       • social skills and training making them experienced employees
       • caring for grandchildren allowing parents to work
       • an important market for holiday companies and healthcare providers
     • Disadvantages
       • huge implications on health services (inadequate nursing facilities)
       • huge implications on pension systems
       • depletion of labor force
       • deterioration of the economy
       • burden on independent population

4. Natal Policies

   • Pro-Natal Policy - increase population size
     • France
       • Strengths/Advantages
         • government pays childcare fees & funds nannies
         • generous maternity leave
         • decreased tax
         • increased female emancipation
         • potential increase in working population & skilled workers
       • Disadvantages
         • expensive to fund policy & pay for childcare
         • still had a large ageing population
         • potential unemployment due to large workforce
         • past age 6 children are still expensive
         • potential cultural conflict from migrant nannies
       • Conclusion
         • Short term: fertility rates are the second highest in Europe
         • Long term: France would continue to face ageing population
   • Anti-Natal Policy - limit population size
     • China
       • Strengths/Advantages
         • higher wages for those with one child
         • fined and took housing/schooling from those who neglected policy
         • decreased pressure on resources therefore lowered population
         • increased productivity - therefore better economy
         • increased standard of living
       • Conclusion
       • Disadvantages
         • gender imbalance led to more females in orphanages
         • pressure onto parents from little emperor's syndrome
         • forced abortions and adoptions
         • potential large aging population

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