BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Population change and structure http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/population/pop_...

Population numbers change over time, influenced by

births, deaths and migration into or out of the area. Global
population levels, having grown slowly for most of human
history, are now rising.
Population pyramids show the structure of a population by
comparing relative numbers of people in different age
groups. Population structures differ markedly between
LEDCsLEDC: A Less Economically Developed Country [LEDC]
has low levels of development, based on economic indicators,
such as gross domestic product (the country's income). More
of the countries in the southern hemisphere (eg countries in
southern Africa, southern Asia and South America) are LEDCs,
while more of the countries in the northern hemisphere are
More Economically Developed Countries [MEDCs]. and
MEDCsMEDC: A More Economically Developed Country
[MEDC] has high levels of development, based on economic
indicators, such as gross domestic product (the country's
income). More of the countries in the northern hemisphere are
MEDCs, eg UK, USA, Canada, Europe. More of the countries in
the southern hemisphere are Less Economically Developed
Countries [LEDCs]..
Demographic transition models show population change
over time - and also show marked differences between
LEDCs and MEDCs.

At present the world's population is growing quickly, though this

has not always been the case.

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The graph shows this pattern of accelerating growth:

World population growth 500BC - 2025

The three main causes of population change are:

Births and deaths are natural causes of population change.

The difference between the birth rate and the death rate of a

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country or place is called the natural increase. The natural

increase is calculated by subtracting the death rate from the
birth rate.

natural increase = birth rate - death rate

The rate of natural increase is given as a percentage,

calculated by dividing the natural increase by 10.
For example if the birth rate is 14 per 1000 population, and the
death rate is 8 per 1000 population, then the growth rate = 14 -
8=6

That is 6/1000, which is equal to 0.6%.

Rates of population growth vary across the world. Although the

world's total population is rising rapidly, not all countries are
experiencing this growth. In the UK, for example, population
growth is slowing, while in Germany the population has started
to decline. MEDCsMEDC: A More Economically Developed
Country [MEDC] has high levels of development, based on
economic indicators, such as gross domestic product (the
country's income). More of the countries in the northern
hemisphere are MEDCs, eg UK, USA, Canada, Europe. More
of the countries in the southern hemisphere are Less
Economically Developed Countries [LEDCs]. have low
population growth rates, with low death rates and low birth
rates.
Population will decline if death rate is greater than birth rate.
LEDCsLEDC: A Less Economically Developed Country [LEDC]
has low levels of development, based on economic indicators,
such as gross domestic product (the country's income). More
of the countries in the southern hemisphere (eg countries in
southern Africa, southern Asia and South America) are LEDCs,
while more of the countries in the northern hemisphere are
More Economically Developed Countries [MEDCs]. have high

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population growth rates. Both birth rates and death rates in

LEDCs tend to be high. However, improving healthcare leads to
death rates falling - while birth rates remain high.
Population will increase if death rate is less than birth rate.
The table shows data in selected LEDC and MEDC countries.
The figures are per 1000 of the population per year.

In Bulgaria, the birth rate is 9/1000 and death rate is 14/1000. As

birth rate is less than the death rate, Bulgaria has a declining
population.

In South Africa, the birth rate is 25/1000 and death rate is

15
/1000. South Africa has an increasing population with a
population growth rate of 1%.

The demographic transition modeldemographic transition

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model: The demographic transition measures population

change over time, by studying birth rate and death rate. In
stage one the high birth rate balances (matches) the high death
rate. In stage two, the total population starts to rise as death
rates start to fall, but birth rates remain quite high. In stage
three, the population is still growing, but the gap between the
birth rate and death rate narrows. In stage four, the total
population is high, but it is balanced due to a low birth rate and
a low death rate. shows population change over time. It studies
how birth rate and death rate affect the total population of a
country. It is divided into five stages:

As a country passes through the demographic transition model,

the total population rises. Most LEDCsLEDC: A Less

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Economically Developed Country [LEDC] has low levels of

development, based on economic indicators, such as gross
domestic product (the country's income). More of the countries
in the southern hemisphere (eg countries in southern Africa,
southern Asia and South America) are LEDCs, while more of
the countries in the northern hemisphere are More
Economically Developed Countries [MEDCs]. are at stage 2 or
3 (with a growing population and a high natural increase). Most
MEDCsMEDC: A More Economically Developed Country
[MEDC] has high levels of development, based on economic
indicators, such as gross domestic product (the country's
income). More of the countries in the northern hemisphere are
MEDCs, eg UK, USA, Canada, Europe. More of the countries in
the southern hemisphere are Less Economically Developed
Countries [LEDCs]. are now at stage 4 of the model and some
such as Germany have entered stage 5.

The demographic transition model

As populations move through the stages of the model, the gap

between birth rate and death rate first widens, then narrows. In
stage 1 the two rates are balanced. In stage 2 they diverge
[diverge: move away from each other ], as the death rate falls

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relative to the birth rate. In stage 3 they convergeconverge:

move towards each other again, as the birth rate falls relative to
the death rate. Finally in stage 4 the death and birth rates are
balanced again but at a much lower level.

The demographic transition model has two limitations:

Population structure means the 'make up' or

compositioncomposition: composition is what something is
made up of of a population. Looking at the population structure

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of a place shows how the population is divided up between

males and females of different age groups.
Population structure is usually shown using a population
pyramid. A population pyramid can be drawn up for any area,
from a whole continent or country to an individual town, city or
village.
The following graphs show the population pyramids of an
MEDC (the UK) and an LEDC (Mozambique), for 2000 and in
2025 using projected figures. The left side of each pyramid
shows the number of men in each age group, the right side
shows the number of women in each age group.

Population pyramid for the UK 2000

Notice how in the UK 2000 pyramid there is a bulge in the area

of the 30-34 and 35-39 age groups, with the numbers thereafter
reducing fairly steadily as the ages increase. This matches
stage 4 of the demographic transition model.

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Projected population pyramid for the UK 2025

Compare this to the 2025 pyramid, which would be stage 5 in

the model. Here the bulge extends much further, covering the
age groups 30-64, with the numbers beginning to reduce
significantly only after 64.
Now compare the UK population pyramids with those for
Mozambique:

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Population pyramid for Mozambique 2000

In this graph, notice that in 2000 the 0-4 age group contained
the largest number of people, with the numbers thereafter
declining steadily as the ages increase. The graph matches
stage 1 in the model.

Projected population pyramid for Mozambique 2025

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In the second graph, the largest group in Mozambique in 2025

is still the 0-4 age group, but there are nearly as many people in
the 5-29 age groups. Now the population pyramid matches
stage 2.

Key things to know about population pyramids:

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