Population Flashcards
Census.
a census provides more than just demographic data (number of people, age, gender), it provides social data which includes marital status, citizenship, migration, religion, and education. a census also provides economic data which is the person’s occupation and income. A census is taken every 10 years since 1801 in the UK.
Reasons for a census.
- it provides information which allows governments to plan ahead eg how much tas revenue and likely spending on pensions.
- the census enables health authorities, education authorities, transport departments, and employment departments to plan ahead - eg location of hospitals, number of schools, new roads, and job training.
- it enables governments to give money fairly to local authorities based on the number of people living there.
Disadvantages of a census.
- it takes years to collate results, by which time the information is out of date.
- it is very expensive.
- people complain that some of the questions are an invasion of privacy.
- people are suspicious and link a census to what they might have to pay in taxes.
Advantages of registration of births, marriages and deaths in the UK over a census.
- they provide an up-to-date and changing picture of the population
- they give immediate information
Disadvantages of registration of births, marriages and deaths in the UK over a census.
- they are expensive, requiring offices and full-time staff to keep records.
- they do not provide as much detail as a sophisticated census.
Surveys
when a very small sample of people and households will be asked to take part in one of several voluntary surveys. population surveys are conducted to gather social and economic data and can be conducted at regional, national or international levels.
Official records.
- government records: information on migration may be gathered from visa applications or Border Agency.
- electoral roll data and NHS records allow population information to be updated between census collection.
Problems with taking a census in a developing country.
censuses may be inaccurate because:
- nomadic groups ie Bedouin nomads, in search of grazing for their animals, move within their country and also cross international frontiers which makes it difficult for enumerators to distribute census forms.
- migration within a country ie rural-urban migration in Brazil, people leaving the countryside and settling in shanty towns which surround cities means that data becomes quickly obsolete.
- no official address, many people in developing countries may be living in shanty towns eg Roçinha, or are homeless so have no official address making it difficult to count them.
- inaccessibility, remote areas where villages are difficult to reach due to mountainous relief eg Afghanistan or other physical difficulties eg countries in the Sahara means that people will be missed out.
- sheer size, the sheer size of a country in terms of area (ie China) and the number of villages (ie India) make it expensive to cover.
- illiteracy, people who cannot read and write results in form-filling being incomplete or inaccurate. Only 21% of the adult population in Gambia in West Africa are literate.
- language, countries, such as Nigeria, with many official languages and dialects have to translate their census forms and employ enumerators that can speak multiple languages, which can be expensive.
- high costs of a census, many developing countries such as Bangladesh cannot afford the expense. It costs millions of pounds to conduct a census. developing countries will have priorities such as health and education.
- civil war and lack of government control, may mean some areas are not covered as it is too dangerous ie Syria and statistics become quickly outdated.
- ethnic tension and internal political rivalries may lead to inaccuracies ie northern Nigeria was reported to have inflated its population figures to secure increased political representation.
- illegal immigrants, people who are illegal immigrants are unlikely to complete a census for fear of deportation, leading to inaccurate data.
Consequences of a slowly growly population (developed countries ie Scotland).
fewer children:
- too many schools and maternity hospitals - some closed.
- too many teachers and midwives leads to unemployment and retraining.
- industries which provide products for children - for example, pram manufacturers may suffer
decreasing active population:
- fewer adult ‘providers’ and ‘carers’ for the increased number of elderly.
- fewer taxpayers so tax increases.
- possible future shortage of skilled workforce.
- people have to work longer before they can retire.
increased percentage of old people:
- the cost of geriatric wards in hospitals and care homes is increased.
- the increased expense of social services for the elderly ie Meals on Wheels.
- fewer taxpayers so tax increases to pay for the number of pensions needed.
- possible future shortage of skilled workforce, so government has to attract skilled workers from abroad.
Solutions for a slowly growing population (developed countries ie Scotland).
increase birth rates by:
- increasing child benefit
- longer periods of paid maternity and paternity leave
- tax allowances for large families
increase the workforce by:
- persuading more women to take jobs eg providing crèches, and equal opportunities for men and women at work
- raising the age of retirement or raising the qualifying age for pensions. this would cause resentment among the working population.
- increasing the number of immigrants from other countries outside the UK
- reduce emigration from the UK
Effects of a rapidly growing population (developing countries ie Nigeria).
many children:
- already stretched educational and health provision. the need for more schools and hospitals will put an even greater strain on these services.
- possible food shortages leading to malnutrition and possible starvation.
- unemployment, as unlikely to be sufficient jobs for so many people.
- overpopulation in the countryside leads to water shortages, and soil exhaustion because of the need to provide more food.
- overpopulation in the cities leads to the growth of shanty towns as the cities cannot provide enough houses, jobs, water and sewage.
- rural-urban migration as conditions in the countryside deteriorate.
Solutions for a rapidly growing population (developing countries ie Nigeria).
they are trying to reduce birth rates by:
- recommending that parents should only have four children ( the average is six )
- increasing the number of family planning clinics with trained advisors.
- increasing the education of females, as this has been shown to decrease birth rates.
- making abortions and sterilization more easily accessible.
- fining people who have large families.
- rewarding couples who have the recommendation number eg free schooling, pensions
- not allowing couples to marry until they are older.
increase emigration/reduce immigration to prevent overcrowding and overpopulation.
develop the country’s wealth:
Nigeria has only half the population density of the UK, so it could have a larger population and still have a high standard of living but it would need to develop its resources by:
- exploiting all its minerals eg oil and gas, tin and coal.
- improving farming eg irrigation projects, soil conservation schemes, education greater industrialisation eg iron and steel works, and oil refineries.
- improving transport eg airports, better railways, motorways
- improving power supplies eg electricity grid over the whole country
Push factors for Poles moving to the UK.
- unemployment rates in Poland are very high - 20% in 2004.
- low wages - incomes were at least 4 times lower than the UK.
- low standard of living
- poorer health care than UK
- fewer educational facilities
Pull factors for Poles moving to the UK
- UK unemployment is low - only 5.1%
- skills shortages along with high demand for skilled and semi-skilled labour eg dentists, tradesmen factory workers, cleaners and farm labourers.
-vaccines in the UK for Oct-Dec 2007 was 607,900 - higher wages, the average in the UK is £30,900. minimum wages mean that people earn about £8 an hour.
- no restrictions on the number of immigrants allowed.
Effects on Poland (Donor country) on the Poland - UK migration.
positive effects:
- reduced unemployment and competition for jobs.
- injection of foreign cash as migrants send a lot of money home.
- less pressure on resources eg health, housing and education.
- political will raise living standards back home.
- loss of young people, lowering the birth rate.
negative effects:
- loss of working-age people to contribute to the Polish economy,
- loss of entrepreneurial spirit as those who migrate tend to be the biggest risk-takers.
- loss of the most active people, with the most education and skills.
- an elderly population left behind
- families broken-up
