Population Growth and Structures
Factors that affect world population growth:
- Birth rates (number of babies born per 1000 people
per year); age of women marrying, education,
contraception, pro-natalist and anti-natalist policies
- Death rates (number of deaths per 1000 people per
year); health care, sanitation, availability of clean water,
water, drought and famine
World population has
increased exponentially
since 1900.
Population growth rate has
slowed down BUT
population is still growing.
Developing Country
Developed Country
Wide base = high birth rate
Narrow top = high death rate and shorter life
expectancy
Youthful population eg Gambia/Mexico
Narrow base = low birth rate
Similar numbers in each age group = low
death rate
Wide top – long life expectancy
Ageing population eg Japan/UK
The Demographic Transition Model
Stage 1
High birth rates: no
birth control,
children seen as an
asset to work so
large families.
High death rate:
frequent famines,
outbreaks of
diseases like
typhoid.
Stage 2
High birth rates.
Falling death
rates: improved
hygiene/health
care/nutrition,
safer drinking
water, better
sewage disposal.
Stage 3
Falling birth
rates: birth
control, less
children dying,
preference for
smaller families
for economic
reasons.
Falling death
rates.
Stage 4
Low birth rates:
women delaying
having, birth control
Low death rates:
continual
improvement in
health care
Stage 5
Low birth rate: fewer younger
people to have children.
Slightly rising death rate: many
old people.
Factors leading to fall in birth
rate:
• Authorities provide family
planning clinics
• Small families accepted as
normal
• Uncertainty about future
economic growth
• More people in big cities and
more machinery on farms so
less need for children
• Free government
contraceptive supply
• Equal female education
• Women career orientated
• National population policy
• Female income needed
• Children contribute less to
family income
Problems and Solutions to Population Growth
The population of some
countries is growing too
fast!
This can lead to:
- A shortage of resources
and food
- Unemployment
- Lack of money for basic
healthcare and schooling
- Low living standards and
rising crime
- Tensions between different
ethnic groups
And in urban
areas:
- Overcrowding
and shanty
towns
And in rural areas:
- Pollution
- Overgrazing
- Traffic
- Pollution
congestion - Deforestation
-
Soil erosion
Desertification
Lack of basic
public services
Some countries try to reduce their population
growth…
Country
Population Policy
Impacts of Policy
China
One-child policy introduced in
1979.
It gave benefits to women who
had only one child (eg better
housing and cash bonuses).
Young people persuaded to
delay marriage.
Easy access to contraception.
Exceptions made in 1997, 2001
and 2011 to allow some
people to have 2 children. As
of 1/3/2016 all can have 2
children.
Positive:
• Birth rate now 1.7.
• Prevented approx 440
million births.
Negative:
• Ageing population today.
• “Little Emperor
Syndrome” as people
wanted boys.
• Possible shortage of
workers
Indonesia
Transmigration policy – since
the 1960s millions of people
have neem moved to islands of
low population densities.
Positive:
• 20 millions people have
moved.
Negative:
• Not reduced population
growth.
• Deforestation on islands
people moved to.
• Tensions between locals
and migrants.
Ageing Population
The Changing Population of the UK
In France they are trying to solve the
problem of an ageing population by
encouraging people to have more children.
They are doing this by:
- Giving parents 3 years paid parental
leave.
- Full time schooling from age 3 reduces
child care costs.
- The more children a woman has, the
earlier she can retire.
What is happening?
• The population of the UK is ageing.
• Low birth rates and smaller families result in fewer
children.
• Better health care and more advanced medicines
mean people live for longer.
What are the problems caused?
• Rising demand for health care because of age-specific
disease and illness.
• Elderly people need other services such as nursing
homes, day-care centres and home helps. This puts
pressure on social care.
• The rising cost of pensions – more elderly people but
fewer working people so taxes have to be raised to
pay for pensions.
What are the advantages?
• ‘Younger’ retired people tend to be wealthy and have
lots of leisure time. They spend money on travel and
recreation. This is called the ‘grey pound’.
• Many do voluntary work or look after grand children
to their parents can work.
Migration
Push factors are
the disadvantages
of living in a place.
Lack
of jobs
Improved job
opportunities
Low
wages
Natural
hazards
Pull factors are the
advantages of where
people want to move to.
High
wages
Improved
quality of
life
Push Why do people move? Pull
factors
factors
Poor
quality
of life
Conflict
Freedom
from
oppression
Lack of
amenities
Forced migration is
compulsory migration.
It is due to push factors.
Forced migrants are
refugees.
Better
amenities
Better
environment
Voluntary migration is
when a person makes
the decision to move.
Pull factors are the most
important here.
Host country is the country where the
migrant settles.
Country of origin is the country from
which a migration starts.
Migration in the EU
People are moving within the EU for
economic reasons
Young single
Skilled, wellSome
people who do educated people
professional
not intend to stay who cannot find people, including
permanently.
jobs in their own
doctors and
country.
dentists.
Benefits of migration
 Helps employers find workers in shortage
areas eg care and farm workers
 Local economies boosted as migrants
spend money in shops; especially retired
migrants in Spain
 Local councils collect more tax
 Migrants pay tax to support services like
health and education but do not use
them very much
Problems with migration
x Local people might resent large
numbers of newcomers
x Pressure on rental properties
x Migrant workers often take low-paid
jobs so unskilled locals lose out
Migration into the EU
People are moving into the EU
Some people leave their Some people arrive in
countries because of war search of work and a
or violence to seek
better life but
safety.
without a visa so are
called illegal migrants.
They are asylum seekers
Impacts of refugees on host countries
who, if allowed to stay,
x Refugees need housing, health care, support with learning
become classed as
the language and children need to go to school. This all has
refugees.
to be paid for by the government.
x Some refugees are treated badly by people who do not
understand what it is like to flee your own country. There
can be conflict with local people.
x The asylum process is expensive and can take months or even
years. People cannot work until it is finished.
Test Yourself
What does the
Demographic
Transition Model
show?
What affects
world population
growth?
How are countries
trying to reduce
their birth rates?
What are the
advantages and
disadvantages of
an ageing
population?
Why do people
migrate?
What are the
advantages of
having a large
number of
immigrants?