Population case studies

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Niger case study (population growth)

Basic info:

Country in West Africa

Rapid increase in its population size due to natural growth

Population of 17 million (birth rate close to 50 in 2014), 3% yearly growth

Reasons:

Falling death rates (16.8 in 2000, 13.1 in 2013)

People don't use birth control due to cultural reasons, uneducated (28.7% literate)

Children work on farms to help parents who are mainly farmers (90% of workforce in agriculture)

Why are death rates falling:

People eat more food and have a more varied diet

Babies get vaccinated

Sanitation and health improved, especially in capital (Niamey)

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Russia case study (population decline)

Basic info:

Large country partly in Asia and Europe

Population of 143 million, projected to fall to 140 million by 2020

Average lifespan of 65 years

Reasons for decline:

Highly educated women who focus on careers (99% literacy)

High immigration rates (to the west for job opportunities)

High death rates

Reasons for death rates:

Alcohol related deaths (cultural)

Levels of HIV/AIDS very high

Heart diseases common (diet)

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Bangladesh case study (overpopulation)

Basic info:

Country in Southern Asia

Population of 160 million

Population density: 1250 ppl per square kilometre

Problems:

Shortages of land for housing in Dhaka (capital) --> slums formed

Lack of job opportunities --> people can't earn money, live in streets or slums (GDP per capita only $1500)

Over-cultivation of land (especially floodplains of Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers) --> people live and farm there --> soil isn't as fertile, not effective and it's frequently flooded --> people injured, dead, infrastructure damaged (costs of repair)

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Australia case study (underpopulation)

Basic info:

Country in Oceania

Population of 25 million

Population density: 2 ppl / square kilometre

People live mainly along coasts (more inhabitable than desserts)

Problems:

Lack of people to join army to defend country (small population, enormous area - 8 man kilometre square)

Shortages of workers --> not enough to mine resources (a lot in Australia - oil, gas, coal, iron)

High taxes for people, high costs of living (PIT 19% to 45% depending on income)

High import costs for the country as products not produced locally (not enough people)

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International migration

Background info:

India (Southern Asia) to UAE, Dubai (Middle East)

Dubai - 3 million people

Only 170 000 Emiratis

People who migrate to Dubai:

640 000 Indians - construction

185 000 Pakistani - drivers (TAXI), construction

175 000 Philippines - retail, tourism

Positives for host:

Dubai gains skilled workers such as doctors

Potential market increased from 500 000 to 7 million - more customers to sell to, more businesses move here

Emiratis can learn new skills from migrants

Negatives:

Cultural tensions - Emirati culture lost (only 170 000 of them compared to e.g. 640 000 Indians), e.g. inappropriate clothes (Europeans)

Infrastructure can't keep up - sewage often dumped in the desert

A lot of the wages paid to migrants is sent back home - doesn't stay in the economy

Increase in crime, e.g. smuggling of alcohol which is illegal

Inflation as increased demand for products

Positives for source:

Money sent back home to India to help local economy

Unemployment problem in India reduced

Negatives:

Less money is generated in India itself

Shortage of men to work the land and produce food for the country

Huge gaps in societies that affect development

Some regions have smaller population which inhibits development

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High dependancy (Italy)

Background information:

60 million people

201 people / km2

One of the highest dependancy ratios in the world

Causes:

8.9 birth rate, 10.1 death rate

23% are 65+

Improved standard of living

People have less children (25% have no children, 25% have 1)

Effects:

Schools closed

Job loss in children sector

More money needed for healthcare and elderly services

Taxes raised (VAT from 22% will rise to 25% in 2020)

Increased retirement age (67 years old)

Solutions:

Encourage births (but only works in 20 years)

2 million immigrants needed (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Raise retirement age to 77

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China's One Child policy (population policy)

Background information:

chairman Mao encouraged population growth

famine 1959-1962 killed 30 million people (food production not high enough)

Policy:

one child/one successful pregnancy

those who followed: up 10% wage increase

those who didn't: up to 10% wage decrease

forced abortions and sterilisations

Effects:

birth rate decline (13 per 1000)

prevented 300 million births which helped economic growth

effective in urban areas

now relaxed to 2 children

Negatives:

by 2025 China will have more elderly than children (30% of Shanghai is over 60) --> high dependancy issues

girls were dumped as deemed inferior to men (15 million babies) --> men can't find wives

number of 20-24 year olds to half from 2010 to 2020 --> hurts economy