Population

Population

1. The Worlds Population is Growing Rapidly

   • 1) The population of the world is increasing all the time and rate it's increasing all the time and the rate it's increasing at is getting faster and faster.
   • 2) There are two things that effect the population size of the world:
     • Birth rate- the number of live babies born per thousand of the population per year.
     • Death rate- the number of deaths per thousand of the population per year.
   • 3) When the birth rate is higher than the death rate, more people are being born than are dying, so the population grows- this is called the natural increase.
   • 4) It's called the natural decrease when the death rate's higher than the birth rate.
   • 5) The population size of a country is also affected by migration- the movement of people from one area to another area.

2. Countries go Through Five stages of Population Growth

   • 1) Birth rates and death rates differ from country to country. This means that population growth is faster in some countries than others.
   • 2) Population growth also changes within a country over time (it get faster or slower).
   • 3) Countries go through five different stages of population growth.
   • Demographic Transition Model
     • Stage 1
       • Birth rate
         • High and fluctuating
       • Death rate
         • High and fluctuating
       • Population growth rate
         • Zero
       • Population size
         • Low and steady
       • Example countries
         • No countries, some tribes in Brazil
     • Stage 2
       • Birth rate
         • High and steady
       • Death rate
         • Rapidly falling
       • Population growth rate
         • Very high
       • Population size
         • Rapidly increasing
       • Example countries
         • Gambia
     • Stage 3
       • Birth rate
         • Rapidly falling
       • Death rate
         • Slowly falling
       • Population growth size
         • High
       • Population size
         • Increasing
       • Example countries
         • Egypt
     • Stage 4
       • Birth rate
         • Low and fluctuating
       • Death rate
         • Low and fluctuating
       • Population growth rate
         • Zero
       • Population size
         • High and steady
       • Example countries
         • USA, UK
     • Stage 5
       • Birth rate
         • Slowly falling
       • Death rate
         • Low and steady
       • Population growth rate
         • Negative
       • Population size
         • Slowly falling
       • Example countries
         • Japan

3. Population Growth and Structure

   • Population Growth
     • 1) As countries become more developed, birth and death rate changes, which effects the population growth. E.g. as a country healthcare improves, which leads to a drop in death rate and faster population growth.
     • 2) So as countries become more developed and population changes and the country moves through the stages of the DTM.
     • 3) This means Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) are in the ealier stages of the DTM (2-3) - population growth rate is high because of high birth rates are high and death rates are beginning to fall.
     • 4) More MEDCs are in the later stages of the DTM (4-5) - they usually have low or negative population growth because birth rates and death rates are low.
   • Population Structure Changes
     • 1) The higher the top bar on the pyramid, the better the life expectancy ( the average age in year a person can be expected to live).
     • 2) If there is a equal number of men and women, and if they live to a similar age- the gender balance of the country.
     • 3) Sometimes pyramids have bulges or dips in them. This happens when lots of particular age group move into or out of the country, or are killed in a war.
     • 4) The 0-9 age group tells you about birth rate.

4. Reasons Why Population Growth and Structure Change

   • Stage 1
     • Birth rate is high because there's no use of contraception, and people have lots of children because many infants die.
     • Death rate is high due to poor healthcare or famine.
     • Population growth rate is zero.
     • Population structure- life expectancy is low (few people reach old age), so the population is made up of mostly young people.
   • Stage 2
     • Birth rate is high because there's no use of contraception. Also, the economy is based on agriculture so people have lots of children to work on farms.
     • Death rate falls due to improved healthcare and diet. Population growth rate is very high.
     • Population structure- life expectancy has increased, but there are still more young people than older people.
   • Stage 3
     • Birth rate is rapidly falling because women have a more equal place in society and better education. The use of contraception increases and more women work instead of having children.
     • The economy also changes to manufacturing, so fewer children are needed to work on farms.
     • Death rates falls due to more medical advances. Population growth rate is high. Population structure- more people are living to be older.
   • Stage 4
     • Birth rate is low- people's wealth improves and they want more possessions. This means there's less money available for having children.
     • Death rate is low and fluctuating. Population growth rate is zero.
     • Population structure- life expectancy is high so even more people are living to be older.
   • Stage 5
     • Birth rate is slowly falling- there's less money available to raise children because people have dependent elderly relatives. Death rate is low and fluctuating. Population growth rate is negative.
     • Population structure- more older people than young people.